Organic Production Systems

Sheep | Beef | Horticulture | Tillage 

Sheep

Organic Sheep Presentation - sheep conference 2023

Beef

Converting beef housing to meet organic standards

On this episode of Let's Talk Organics, Elaine Leavy, Joe Kelleher and Martin Bourke, Teagasc Organic Specialists, discussed converting beef housing to meet organic standards. They were joined by Fergus Hanly and Tadhg Halpin who shared their experiences of converting beef housing to meet organic standards.

Father and daughter partnership, Tadhg & Claire Halpin farm 70Ha of free draining land in Toonagh, Tulla, in East Clare. The Halpins always had an interest in farming organically and decided that organic farming was very compatible with their existing system.

Fergus Hanly farms 30Ha of free draining land on the banks of the river Deel, he converted his farm to organic approximately 12 years ago. He operates a weanling to finishing beef system.

Watch webinar recording below

Horticulture

Organic Farm Scheme - Horticulture Information Day

February 29th, 2024, saw Teagasc, along with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Organic Growers Ireland, Agricultural Consultant's Association and leading small growers, come together to provide a free day of information and workshops for Ireland's horticultural growers. The event took place in Birr, Co. Offaly, focusing on the Organic Farm Scheme, and included presentations on the following topics:

• Market, Gardening, Money and Family (PDF)
  Jim Cronin, Horticulture Expert
• Organic Farming Scheme (PDF)
  Jack Nolan, DAFM
• BISS & Area Based Schemes Online Application (PDF)
  Ciara Conlon, DAFM
• Registration as a Food Business Operator (Horticulture) (PDF)
  Niamh Kellaghan, DAFM
• The Scheme of Investment Aid for Development of Commercial Horticulture (PDF)
  Sinead Mulcahy, DAFM
• Advisory Services for Horticulture: What’s available & Access to Advice (PDF)
  William Deasy, Teagasc
• Organic Farming Irish Market Consumer Campaign (PDF)
  Emmet Doyle, Bord Bia

Opportunities for Organic Horticultural Growers

On Wednesday, 26 January, 2022 Joe Kelleher and Elaine Leavy, Teagasc Organic Specialists hosted the fourth in a series of Autumn Organic Webinars. They were joined by Eoin Sweetman, Teagasc; Padraig Fahy, Beechlawn Organics and Gillian Westbrook, IOA to explore the opportunities available to organic horticultural growers. Organic fruit and vegetables are the main consumer entry point for purchasing organic produce, and continue to be the area of shortest supply in the organic sector, with most produce imported.

Topics covered included:

• Principles of Organic Vegetable Growing (PDF)
  Eoin Sweetman, Teagasc
• My story of growing an organic horticultural business
  Padraig Fahy, Beechlawn Organic Farm
• MOPS -  Maximising Organic Production Systems
  Gillian Westbrook, IOA

Tillage

Organic Spring Oats Trial

In this video the Teagasc Organics team show us a recent trial carried out on Organic Spring Oats in Duncannon Co Wexford.

32 plots were sown, 4 reps of 8 different treatments;

• Untreated
• Organic Poultry Manure Pellets (1235kg/ha =0.5t/ac)
• Biostimulant
• Supersoil (250gram/ha)
• Dairy Processing Sludge (5t/ha)
• Cattle Slurry (3,000 gals/ac) (33m3 per ha)
• Seaweed Powder
• Free-range layers poultry manure (4t/ha)

Download the presentation: Martin Bourke - Organic Spring Oats Trial