Teagasc/Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme

2015 - 2018 SOME OF THE PROGRAMME SUCCESSES FROM 2014 TO 2018

2014 2018

Cow Number 100 175

Milk Solids Per Cow 393 496 (kgMS/Cow)

Milk Solids Per ha 813 1,340 (kgMS/ha)

Overall Stocking Rate 2.07 2.70 (LU/ha)

Grass Growth 13 13 (tonnesDM/ha)

Soil Fertility Lime 40 90 (% Index 2&3) Phosphorous 50 70 Potassium 55 50

Six Week Calving Rate (%) 73 86

SCC (,000) 187 123

Milk Price 39.3 37.16 (Cent/litre)

Net Profit Per Cow (€) 713 652

(Before Drawings, Tax, Capital Repayment)

Net Margin/Dairy ha (€) 1,475 1,760 SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

Purpose: The overall purpose of this Joint Programme was to ensure that suppliers were equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to sustainably and profitably develop their dairy farm businesses, following quota removal in April 2015.

Objectives: This Joint Programme had six objectives: • Improved cost control and farm profitability achieved through better financial and business management skills • Increased grass growth with maximised forage usage • Improved herd fertility leading to optimised calving pattern • Increased milk solids production per cow and per hectare • Improved milk quality to meet more challenging market requirements • Maximised compliance with the Open Source Sustainability standard

Eleven monitor farms play a central role in promoting the adoption of the new and existing technologies. 2018

2015

Grassland Maintenance All the farms were soil tested in 2015 at the start of the Programme. pH was very low on all the farms. Most farms spread 5 tons of lime per hectare in the first year and spread more if required in 2017. The lime status of the farms improved dramatically. Samples taken on all farms in 2017 confirm significant progress with 90% of samples being at the ideal pH. Fertilizer containing higher levels of P and K was used over the 3 years of the Programme. Seventy percent of the soils on these farms are now at index 3 and 4 for phosphorus. Potassium remained static over the 3 years. A lot of surplus bales were made and this management practice has a major impact on Potassium due to off-takes.

Grass grown per hectare per annum increased from 13 to 16 tons DM/ha between 2015 and 2017. Soil fertility, management, reseeding and weather all had an impact. All the farms were grass measuring over 35 times per year. The out farms were identified as particularly low in P and K and in need of reseeding. The grass growth potential of these blocks of land were low and a significant investment was made in improving soil fertility and reseeding. In 2018, due to adverse weather conditions grass grown declined to 13 tons/ha.

Grass Growth tonsDM/ha 2015 2016 20 2017 18 2018

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0 Physical Performance of the Teagasc Glanbia Monitor Farms 2014 to 2017

Milk yields per cow and per farm have risen dramatically, with over 100 kg extra milk solids per cow now being produced. Fat and protein percentages have also increased worth 1.5 cent a litre comparing 2014 to 2018 percentages. EBI of the herds has also increased and all farms are using Sire Advice through ICBF to pick their team of bulls. Weighing heifers and achieving target weights was an integral part of the Programme. Six week calving rate increased to 86%. Better management during the breeding season, grass quality, better use of heat detection aids and record keeping were critical in achieving this increase in six week calving.

The amount of concentrate fed remained fairly static up to 2017 at 700kg/head. In 2018, due to the draught the meal feeding doubled and silage had to be bought because of the decrease in grass growth to 13 tons of DM/ha. Overall stocking rate increased to 2.7LU/ha. Most of these farms are now at peak stocking rate and further expansion will come from other blocks or an increase in the size of the farm.

To manage the increase in stock numbers, 50% of the farms are now contract rearing out heifers and hiring at least half a labour unit. On average €200,000 has been spent to develop these farms. Teagasc/Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme 2015 - 2018 Each Monitor Farmer Tells Their Story MAKING THE SWITCH TO DAIRY FARMING WORK - EFFICIENTLY AND SUSTAINABLY

“The programme has been fantastic. We’ve seen big improvements in a number of areas but the focus on finance and planning has been especially useful” Michael Doran Johnstown, Co. Wexford

Michael Doran is quite a new entrant to dairy farming based at Johnstown, Duncormick, Co Wexford. He is the 4th generation to run the family farm but a lot has changed since the time his parents, James and Catherine, were farming. His father’s parents had a mixed farm with 12 cows all milked by hand, some sheep and tillage. They stopped milking cows in the 1950’s. Michael studied agricultural at Rockwell College finishing in 1994 and came home to farm full time. Michael started with 50 suckler cows, 75 ewes and 12 hectares of cereals. He became a well known suckler farmer, increasing the suckler herd to 120 and sheep to 200, with 40 hectares of grain. In September 2012 his son, James, was born with Down’s Syndrome and spent much of his first year in hospital. It was a worrying time. They faced decisions about Ciara leaving work. Income from the beef enterprise was declining. Waiting in hospitals, Michael spent some of his time searching profit monitors online and explored differences between dairy and beef. Looking at the profits made by good quality dairy farmers, he felt it would be a logical decision to switch from beef to dairy, as he believed it would offer better opportunities. ‘I had never milked a cow. But this was the best decision we ever made for the farm,’ says Michael. He and Ciara had a lot of contacts in Teagasc and spoke with advisers who gave them very valuable advice. In 2013 Michael applied for a milk quota under a new scheme for entrants and was allocated a quota of 200,000 litres. He built a new 24-unit herringbone milking parlour, upgraded roadways on the farm and sold about 60 suckler cows to buy 80 in-calf Jersey cross heifers. His decision to go with Jersey cross cows was well researched and based on the their good track record in fertility, solids and easy handling. He managed to buy the first 80 in- calf heifers from two farmers in October 2013. He milked his first cow in January 2014 and started supplying manufacturing milk to Glanbia Ireland.

MONITOR FARM PROGRAMME Michael joined the Teagasc Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme in 2015 and says it was a ‘brilliant’ decision. The Joint Programme set out to help dairy farmers promote sustainable growth post-quotas. Michael has found the experience very useful as he has had access to superb information. ‘It’s been fantastic. We’ve seen big improvements in a number of areas but the focus on finance and planning has been especially useful.’ Michael had 135 cows when he joined the Programme but knew when he reached a herd size of 200 cows he would need more land. In 2015 Michael purchased an adjoining 26 hectare block. He sold about 16 hectares of land five miles away from the milking platform and the additional land increased his milking platform to 80 hectares.

MANAGING THE COSTS OF EXPANSION Michael continued to expand his herd and in 2018 milked 240 cows. Over the a three year period from 2013, Michael invested €309,500 on infrastructure alone including the new parlour/dairy, housing cubicles, storage and field infrastructure such as water, roadways and fencing. ‘Managing our finances has been crucial with this investment. We use the Cost Control Planner every year and have six year plans in place for the farm which are reviewed regularly. The Monitor Farm Programme has given me a brilliant discipline about financial planning.’ Michael has managed to reduce variable and fixed costs between 2014 and 2017. The overall net profit per cow has increased from €607 per cow in 2014 to €936 per cow in 2017.

MAKING THE GRASS SYSTEM WORK PROFITABLY Michael believes that having the right cow and getting grassland management right are both critical. ‘I called myself a grass farmer before I called myself a beef or dairy farmer,’ says Michael. He has been measuring grass since 2008. Michael’s average milk yield in 2017 was 4,754 litres but he says that pushing big yields is not as important as improving solids and maximising production from grass. Average milk solids in 2017 were at 427 kg/cow, protein % at 3.87 and fat % at 4.85, with 55% of the herd first and second calvers.In 2017 stocking rate was 2.85 (LU/ha). Michael was achieving 18 ton DM/hectare grass growth but had also improved soil fertility with pH >6.3 at 85% in 2017 up from 20% in 2015. P Index 3/4 was up to 90% in 2017 from 65% in 2015; and K index 3/4 was at 95% in 2017 from 90% in 2015. He is doing soil testing every year to ‘keep a handle on it all.’

MANAGING A LARGE HERD Michael works closely with his vet on herd health plans and a good vaccination Programme. In 2018 he sent 40 heifers for Contract Rearing. ‘It did free up more time and made sure our stocking rates weren’t under pressure, especially when we faced conditions like drought.’

WORK & LIFESTYLE BALANCE Michael now has two labour units working with him. Spring is a busy time so the first five months he works every second weekend. When breeding is over everyone works every 3rd weekend. He also manages to take a summer holiday in July each year, which would have been impossible on his previous enterprise. Michael and Ciara have three children – Ella aged ten, James is now aged six and Tomós is five. Both boys started primary school in September 2018, which is a big step. Michael hopes that one of the children may be interested in the farm in the future but is determined that the farm that he passes on will be as good if not better than the farm he got from his parents. ‘That’s what family farming is really all about,’ says Michael. APPRECIATING & EXPANDING DAIRY FARMING STANDARDS AT HOME

“The Programme has been a great experience for me. I get a lot out of it and it’s given me great information” Shane O’Loughlin Oghill, Co. Kildare

Shane O’Loughlin’s family have been farming at Oghill, Monasterevin, Co. Kildare since 1953 when his grandfather bought the farm. His parents, Dermot and Angela, continued the family farm and in the 1960’s when a local co-op started up on Monasterevin, they started supplying milk. The contrast is significant. Shane’s father remembers working with no electrical supply and needing six men to milk 20 cows by hand. Shane’s expanded dairy herd of 200 cows can now be milked at peak time in two hours by one person. Shane has a lot of respect for his father’s experience. The family farm started with tillage, evolving to sheep and some beef but has been focused entirely on dairy for about 20-25 years. Shane completed a degree in Animal Crop Production in UCD, travelled for a year and came home to farm in 2005. He took over the running of the farm in 2011. ‘My father was delighted to see me taking over the growing amount of paperwork! He is a great believer in doing things right, saying if you do it right you won’t have to come back to it again, so it saves you time in the end.’ Shane says his father was always very open minded, supporting Shane when he wanted to try new ideas on the farm. ‘He really believed in giving the younger generation a chance and was very encouraging,’ says Shane. ‘If any of my kids want to get involved on the farm, I hope I can do the same.’ Shane, who is married to Judith, has three children – Hugh (6), Tom (4) and Emma (18 months). APPRECIATING WHAT WE DO RIGHT When he graduated, Shane was awarded the StepHen Cullinan scholarship which allowed him to experience working on different types of dairy farms in Canada, New Zealand and America. ‘It was a super opportunity to see the different systems. The cows are in all year round in Canada and out all year round in New Zealand. Some of the scale was simply huge, with some New Zealand herds having 1,200 cows.’ ‘It was great to see how much you could do with grass but in other areas, like treacability and environment, we are so far ahead. It made me appreciate how good it was done at home and I wouldn’t swop Ireland for any of it.’ MONITOR FARM PROGRAMME Shane supplies both liquid and manufacturing milk to Glanbia. In 2014 he was asked would he take part in the Teagasc Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme, which set out to help dairy farmers promote sustainable growth post-quotas. Collectively they put together a plan for the farm. ‘It’s been a great experience for me,’ says Shane. ‘There’s no doubt I have to put the work into it. But I get a lot out of it. It’s given me great information, helped me to focus and there are always people on the other end of the pHone for support’. There are 11 farmers in the Teagasc Glanbia Programme in different parts of the country who at this stage share a whatsapp group and are in regular contact with each other. ‘It’s been a great sounding board and type of discussion group in its own right.’ MEASURED INVESTMENT Shane has invested €168,500 on infrastructure between 2015-2017. €25,000 went in to new loose calf shed. €8,500 was put in to the milking parlour upgrading it and putting in two extra units so it is now a 12 unit double up. There has also been investment in roadways and water. The biggest investment was in slatted tank, which cost €100,000. Since joining the Monitor Farm Programme Shane is using cost control planning to help to manage his finances and working to a six year plan which is reviewed every year. ‘The Programme also gives you a spur on for things like measuring grass. I really appreciate that it has to be done regularly and these practices need to be kept up.’ Shane has reseeded very little in the last seven years and aims to reseed 10% each year into the future. In 2017 the milking platform stocking rate was 3.09 (Lu/Ha) and Shane was achieving 15.7 kg DM/hectare grass growth up from 13kg DM/hectare in 2015. His aim is to maximise his resources and grow 16 tonnes of grass DM/hectare. He has also improved soil fertility with pH >6.3 at 100% in 2017 up from 95% in 2015. P Index 3/4 was up to 70% in 2017 from 50% in 2015; and K index 3/4 held steady at 25%. SIMPLE CHANGES MAKE BETTER USE OF TIME Shane says that one of the biggest things he has learned from the Monitor Farm Programme is to look at how he does things to see if it can be improved to manage his time in a better way. Changes to paddocks mean he is now getting four days grazing rather than having 24 hour paddocks. There is much less time involved as he is not switching every day. Putting a hole in a wall near the parlour and moving calving cows up closer has saved him from spending half an hour every day in the busy calving season moving them up the yard. It all adds up. ‘Sometimes I might not start milking until 4.00pm or 5.00pm, but now I’m stricter about starting by 3.00pm every day so that I’m finished by 5.30pm every evening. This means I have time in the evenings to spend with my family and do other things.’ ‘Some relatively simple changes were able to save me a lot of time every day – and that’s very valuable to me’ says Shane. Shane has signed up to start a Teagasc Business Management course. ‘You can get lost in the everyday work of farming sometimes but it’s important to get out and learn new skills.’ Finishing on the farm at a reasonable time also means he can play football himself. ‘We have a big family tradition in GAA as well as farming,’ explains Shane. His grandfather won All Ireland medals from 1927 and 1928 – the last time Kildare won an All Ireland. His father won a Leinster medal in 1956. ‘Maybe it skipped a generation!’ laughs Shane, who keenly supports his children at matches and training, with an enthusiastic eye on the next generation. WICKLOW FARMER KEEPS THINGS SIMPLE AND WELL MANAGED TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE

“The programme has helped increase our herd while reducing the labour.”

Eamonn & Darren Healy Ballydonnell, Co. Wicklow

Darren Healy is an ambitious farmer managing a dairy enterprise in partnership with his father since 2009. He is the 4th generation running the family farm at the foothills of the Wicklow mountains at Ballydonnell, Redcross. Darren and his family live on the farm beside his parents, Mary and Eamonn. Darren always wanted to get involved in the farm – but felt strongly that he wanted to develop a career. He spent a year studying Dairy Herd Management in Cheshire. He travelled to New Zealand for a year with the Macra na Feirme StepHen Cullinan scholarship and studied Agri Business in college in Galway. In New Zealand Darren worked on six dairy farms. He learned a lot about farm management but was also impressed seeing the way of life there. ‘All of the farmers worked hard but finished early and enjoyed themselves after work.’ ‘Previous generations farming here would have had very labour intensive lifestyles. The experience encouraged me to develop a business focus for the farm and to be proactive about having a good work-life balance,’ says Darren. Darren came home to farm in 2000. He and his father share an interest in learning about ways to improve the farm. Darren reads farming media and attends conferences. ‘However you can’t beat a local discussion group or farm walk as a way of teasing out questions.’ ‘The internet gives me an information pool that is not just local – it lets me learn from farmers in other countries,’ says Darren. If he hears about a new technique, he researches it online to learn more or finds other farmers who are using the idea.

MONITOR FARM PROGRAMME The Healy farm has been entirely dairy since 2009. They run a spring calving, manufacturing milk herd supplying Glanbia. When Teagasc and Glanbia were developing the Monitor Farm Programme, the Healy’s expressed an interest and were delighted to be selected in 2015. ‘It has been a huge benefit to us,’ says Darren. In the year 2000 the Healys had 120 cows suppling winter milk in a way which was relatively labour intensive. ‘Now we have more than twice the number of cows on the farm for less labour.’ Being part of the Monitor Farm Programme contributed to improvements which supported this growth.

MANAGING EXPANSION The Healy’s now have 275 cows on the farm of 97 adjusted hectares. All young stock are contract reared from two weeks which has become an important part of the system. Construction of 200 outdoor cubicles was completed in 2016. A new 24 unit herringbone milking parlour with the capacity to expand by a further 12 units was also built. It has a plate cooler with recycling of cold water, auto washers, variable speed vacuum pumps, variable speed milk pumps and it uses gas to heat water. Darren hasn’t looked back and says it has cut the milking time almost in half, making labour a lot more efficient.

ANIMAL HEALTH AND BREEDING Darren takes a very proactive approach to animal health. He meets with his vet once or twice a year for a full herd health review. They talk through test reports, calving, calf rearing and breeding. Together they list what went well, what can be improved and write it in to a plan for the herd. The Healys vaccinate to protect against diseases rather than dealing with ‘fire brigade scenarios.’ Management of breeding has improved. ‘We had a relatively slow uptake to EBI initially, but now we’re very focused,’ says Darren. The Healys are starting the changeover from traditional winter milk Holstein to a Jersey cross herd. ‘The Jersey cross tend to have easier and healthier calving, better feet, better utilisation of grass and are just easier to manage generally – which eases the work load.’

GRASS GROWTH AND MANAGEMENT Darren is pleased to see grass growth increase to 16 tonnes from 12 tonnes in 2015. “We soil sample every year and have been increasing lime and P&K indexes over the past five years.’ The Healys also manage reseeding with, for example, five hectares cleared for reseeding in 2017 using a three-way mix of seed. ‘Measuring grass is a Godsend. We walk the farm every five to seven days. It’s a useful tool – especially when there’s a surplus or deficit of grass.’ WORK & LIFESTYLE BALANCE Darren and his wife, Kalinda, have three children – Alexandra, Kate and Holly. Kalinda works full time and family time is very important. ‘The children play camogie and they have activities most days,’ says Darren. ‘I try to finish at 5.15pm so that we can do activities with the children in the evenings. I also enjoy watching rugby and cycling.’ “We work hard on this farm - but we deliberately keep things simple and well managed so that we can aim for a better work-life balance on the farm than my grandfather would have had.” EVERY BLADE OF GRASS CRUCIAL ON SMALL FARM HOLDING “The programme has moved the farm up to the next level and supported the expansion of the farm over the last five years” Peter Mongey Slane, Co. Meath Peter Mongey’s family have been farming near Slane Castle at Stackallen, Co. Meath since the early 1700’s. Peter’s father ran the farm from about 12 years of age because his own father died young. Peter’s parents, Larry and Carmel, ran a mixed farm with cows, cattle, sheep, pigs, hens and a horse - but with only 15 hectares the farm was always restricted by size. Larry worked off-farm selling haysheds, driving a school bus and ‘combining.’ Still active in his early 80’s, Larry was very progressive and had a great work ethic. Peter studied at Warrenstown Agricultural College graduating in 1991. He worked on the farm with his father and they intensified and focused on dairy. Peter also worked off-farm in building and got his Green Cert in 1993. Peter says he picked up his work ethic from his father, his attention to detail and utilisation of grass. ‘It was about efficiency before scale and getting the best out of what we already had.’ ‘Every blade of grass is crucial when your farm is a small holding,’ says Peter. ‘Nothing that could be used is ever put aside or wasted.’ FREE FROM THE SHACKLES OF QUOTA In 2007 Peter took over the farm full-time. Five years ago two blocks of land came up for sale beside the farm. ‘I was lucky it was at the right time. Our original quota was based on 30-35 cows but as the shackles of quota were coming off, we were able to drive on a bit more.’ Peter expanded the farm to 42 hectares and his milking platform from ten hectares to 29 hectares. He started building the herd from inside, without purchasing stock. GETTING THE MOST FROM WHAT WE HAVE In October 2014 Peter was asked to take part in the Teagasc Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme, an initiative to help dairy farmers promote sustainable growth post-quotas. ‘It has made a huge difference. It has moved the farm up to the next level and supported the expansion of the farm over the last five years,’ says Peter. ‘I pay much more attention to detail and to the management of the farm,’ says Peter. ‘It follows very naturally from my father’s belief of getting the most out of what we have.’ HERD AT MAXIMUM SIZE Peter now has 109 cows which is the maximum for his land. It was only possible because of his move to contract rearing in 2015. ‘It has been excellent. I have more time to focus on the milking herd. The milking platform is stocked with profitable animals. I would not have space for younger stock.’ Heifers leave at about 12 weeks of age and return just before calving. The six week calving rate has improved from 57% in 2014 to 78% in 2017 with 95% of the heifers calving at 22-26 months. The herd was originally Holstein Friesian. Peter is now using EBI to breed with a strong focus on fertility and higher milk solids. Peter works closely with his vet for herd health planning and managing a dosing and vaccination regime. HOLDING YIELDS BUT BRINGING SOLDS UP Peter is aiming to hold milk yield but bring milk solids up. Average milk yield increased from 5,514 litres per cow in 2014 to 6,031 in 2017. Average milk solids per cow increased from 418 kg in 2014 to 457 kg in 2017. Improvements in milk solids per dairy hectare have gone up from 1,140 in 2014 to 1,587 in 2017. ‘There is still huge potential with milk solids. I am in the process of moving a smaller group of Autumn calvers around to Spring calving.’ Peter expects milk solids to be at 500 kg per cow in 2018 when calving patterns stabilise. INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE Peter has invested carefully in the infrastructure to support his expansion. He built extra cow cubicles and expanded the milking parlour to an 11 unit herringbone. Investments were designed to reduce the demand on labour including auto wash with dump line, upgraded cluster removers, new meal bins and electronic feeding system, air gates and last Winter a drafting unit went in. ‘I need efficiency because I’m aiming to run the farm as a one man show.’ Peter needed a new bulk tank and silage pit. He has improved internal road structures, water piping and water troughs. Peter’s overall investment has been €106,500 since 2015 and he says the Profit Monitor has definitely helped. ‘There is a great benefit in seeing the monthly cash flow on the excel spreadsheet and being able to compare it back.’ Peter hopes to do a Teagasc and UCD course in strategic business planning later this Autumn. The overall net profit per dairy hectare has almost doubled in three years, increasing from €2,062 in 2014 to €3,832 in 2017 – whilst total costs have reduced in that same time. Peter attributes this to the expanded herd operating more efficiently with the same land, labour and resources. GRASS ROOTS Peter was a finalist in the Teagasc Grassland of the Year competition in 2017 and says a big learning for a small holding is the importance of good grass and soil fertility. He has been measuring grass for eleven years, more recently using the PastureBase package. ‘It shows you the surplus or deficit straight up so you can make quicker decisions about when to take out paddocks and make silage.’ The farm is now properly mapped with paddock sizes increased and more access points. This has helped to improve the use of grass. Peter has re-seeded 76% of his land in the last seven years and is aiming to re-seed 15% each year. In 2017 stocking rate was 2.56 (LU/ha). Peter was achieving 17.5 kg DM/hectare grass growth up from 13.5 kg DM/hectare in 2015. Peter soil tests every two years. Soil fertility was very low in the new blocks. Peter has done a lot of work to bring the soil levels up to same standard as the original farm. In 2017 soil fertility with pH >6.3 was at 100%. P Index 3/4 was up to 70% in 2017 from 50% in 2015; and K index 3/4 was at 60% in 2017 from 40% in 2015. Peter is married to Raquel and they have two children, Hannah (11) and Nathan (8). ‘I want to hand on this farm in a good condition – both environmentally and financially. I also want to keep things simple because it needs to be enjoyable. Farming needs to be something you want to do.’ A DECADE OF CHANGE AND GROWTH ON WATERFORD FARM “The Monitor Farm programme put a lot of information our way. It’s up to you to take from that and put it into good use on your own farm.” Conor Beausang Grange, Co. Waterford The past ten years has seen a lot of change on the Beausang farm at Churchwater, Grange, Co. Waterford. Traditionally, the farm managed by Philip and Peggy Beausang had been a tillage, sheep and suckler enterprise. In 2008 their son, Conor, returned to full time farming having completed his Green Cert in Kildalton and a few years working part-time off farm. ‘I couldn’t see a viable future with the existing set up without working off-farm as well. I felt that changing to dairy farming was the only choice for me if I wanted to have a good income out of farming.’ MILKING FOR THE FIRST TIME Conor had been part of a beef discussion group so he switched to Deise 2020, a Dairy Discussion Group and did a lot of research. ‘We bought a second-hand eight unit milking parlour for €1,500 and did most of the installation ourselves - the concrete work and roofing. We spent as little as possible to get up and running and drove it from there.’ In anticipation of milk quotas being abolished, he bought in some Friesian heifer calves in Spring 2011 so that he would be ready to start milking when the quotas were gone. Conor grasped the opportunity to apply for a 200,000 litre milk quota under the New Entrants Scheme in 2011 and started milking his first 15 cows in October that year, up to 30 in November and got up to 40 cows in 2012. Conor’s Dad, Philip, who is still actively supportive on the farm, was initially unsure about making the change to dairy, but was quickly reassured. Conor says the choice was definitely the right choice. ‘I might be busy, but at least I’m here on the farm and not working off farm as well.’ MONITOR FARM PROGRAMME Towards the end of 2014 Conor was asked to take part in the Teagasc Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme, which was set up to help dairy farmers promote sustainable growth post-quotas. Conor has gradually and steadily continued to increase the size of the herd. By the time milk quotas were removed he was milking 80 cows, supplying manufacturing milk to Glanbia. This year he is milking 120 with the potential to increase to 130-135 next year. ‘That would be a good size for this farm unless more land comes my way – but any further expansion would also mean bringing in more labour,’ says Conor. The farm is currently 66.4 hectares, with 40.6 hectares of a milking platform. ‘ GRASS IS NUMBER ONE Conor says the Programme has a strong focus on getting as much as you can from grass. ‘Grass is number one. The cows will do what they have to do once the grass is there – but your management of the grass will dictate how well it’s going to be grazed.’ He feels he is much more in control of his finances based on what he has learned in the Programme, particularly in relation to using the Profit Monitor and budgeting for the year. ‘The Monitor Farm Programme helped me to look at things a bit differently and to make sure I’m operating as efficiently as I can, cutting out the unnecessary habits and making the best use of my time’. BIG TIME SAVING FROM UPGRADED PARLOUR As an example, Conor says that his parlour is the same shape but he has put in 17 units, an auto washer and auto remover, with the effect that milking time has reduced from 2 ¼ hours to one hour each time. ‘That saves me two hours a day, or 14 hours a week, which is a serious amount of time. I was actually quite shocked as I didn’t realise it could make such a different but it was well worth the time.’ Conor has invested €46,000 in upgrading the milking parlour, which is the biggest spend in infrastructure in the past three years. A further €16,000 has been spent on a new bulk tank and €12,000 on field infrastructure, mainly fencing and roadways. GETTING THE MOST FROM HERD Average milk yield has increased from 4,864 litres per cow in 2014 to 5,817 in 2017. Conor has seen average milk solids per dairy hectare increase from 776kg/ha in 2014 to 1,156kg/ha in 2017; with milk solids per cow increasing from 377 kg in 2014 to 476 kg in 2017. Since joining the Monitor Farm Programme, the overall net profit per cow has also almost doubled, increasing from 680 in 2014 to 1217 in 2017. Costs reduced from 20.86 cent per litre to 17.62 cent per litre in the same period. ‘If the cow is not utilised properly, you still have the same costs. We had held back in the past when we were restricted by quota,’ says Conor. ‘Now we are able to get the most from our cows, using better quality grass more efficiently, with the right stocking rate and breeding. It has all made a big difference.’ Conor measures grass about 44 times a year, stopping in December when the cows stop grazing outdoors and starting again from the end of January. About 80% of the land has been reseeded in the last seven years. The farm has been mapped and paddock sizes increased so that he is now achieving three grazings per paddock. In 2014 milking platform stocking rate was 0.95 (LU/ha) it had increased to 2.50 by 2017. Conor was achieving 14.5 tonnes DM/ hectare grass growth in 2017 – up from 13.5 tonnes DM/hectare in 2015. Conor was soil testing every three years and likely to pull it back to every two years. He is ‘bang on target’ for pH levels now with pH >6.3 at 100% in 2017 up from 26% in 2015. K index 3/4 was at 62% in 2017 up from 47% in 2015 while the P Index 3/4 was 55% in 2017. Conor feels he has made big improvements with breeding in the herd. Six week calving rate has improved from 62% in 2014 to 88% in 2017; with numbers of heifers calving at 22-26 months at 100% now, compared with 67% when he started the Monitor farm Programme. He has worked closely with his local vet in Youghal, Ron Cashman, on developing a herd health plan including vaccination Programme and milk is tested regularly. GOOD BALANCE Conor is married to Angela who is a teacher, currently job sharing at St. Paul’s in Lisduggan. They have two children, Ella (eight) and James (five). Conor also helps out with training and support in a local GAA Club. He says it’s great to have his father still tipping away and helping with jobs like spraying and mowing. ‘I’m always rushing and he’s so much more calm and measured. It’s a good balance.’ NAVIGATING PLANS TO DOUBLE DAIRY HERD

“The programme helped me to be more open minded and to learn to learn - to research information. These are skills I use on my farm today.” Paddy O’Gorman Clonmel, Co. Tipperary

Paddy O’Gorman has almost doubled the size of his dairy herd in the last decade, since he took over the running of the family farm at Rathkeevan, just outside Clonmel in Co. Tipperary. Having grown up on the farm Paddy was keen to broaden his skills and have the opportunity to travel. He initially studied Structural Engineering in Cork Institute of Technology before travelling to Australia for a year. He says it was, without a doubt, a useful experience. ‘It helped me to be more open minded and to learn - to research information. These are skills I use on my farm today.’ Paddy’s parents, Michael and Maria, ran a dairy and beef enterprise on the family farm. When Paddy returned to take over the running of the farm in 2009 they had 100 cows in the dairy herd and all calves were kept on the farm. Although his parents are retired, they still help out and offer helpful advice. ‘Dad understood how important it was to look after stock and to know what was going on. He always kept a careful eye on the figures.’ Paddy completed a Green Cert, went to Open Days and got actively involved in Discussion Groups. He has found Discussion Groups to be a core way of finding solutions, keeping up to date and learning about new ways of doing things. He made decision to focus 100% on dairy farming, supplying manufacturing milk to Glanbia. Paddy had grown the herd to 140 cows by 2014 when he was asked to join the Teagasc Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme. It aims to help dairy farmers promote sustainable growth post-quotas. His five year plan drawn up for the Programme is ambitious. Paddy aims to have 200 cows in the herd by 2019. His expansion plan is on track, milking 190 Holstein Friesians in 2017, with 85 1-2 year old replacements and 70 0-1 year olds, all reared on the farm. He has leased extra land this Spring, increasing from 88 hectares to 100 hectares, with a milking platform of 60 hectares. ‘I’ve learned a lot from the Monitor Farm Programme, it’s been very positive. I have good contact with the Teagasc advisers. The other farmers in the Programme act as a Discussion Group as well. I have good contact with them too and get a lot out of meeting with them.’ KEEPING A SHARP EYE ON FIGURES There have been significant changes on the farm since getting involved in the Programme, such as changes to work practices and financial management. ‘The Monitor Farm Programme has helped me to keep a very sharp eye on all of the figures – be it grass, milk yields but also finances. In the past I might intend to measure grass weekly, but might sometimes put it off if things were busy. Now I am much more focused and measure grass rigorously every week.’ IMPROVED HEIFER PERFORMANCE Paddy says that breeding is an area which has seen significant improvement. In 2014 Paddy had 70% of heifers calving between 22-26 months. In 2017 he had increased this to 100%. With research indicated that over 90% of heifers should calve at two years of age for economic and lifetime productivity reasons, this is a big plus. The six week calving rate has improved from 69% in 2014 to 85% in 2017. This has been achieved by focusing on improving live weight gain, which is a big factor in heifer performance. Paddy now weighs heifers and looks at body condition scoring regularly – and acts on the information. He is able to make better decisions because he knows which heifers he needs to focus attention on. Heifers are now split into two groups: lighter and heavier animals, with the lighter ones getting preferential feeding. Paddy decided to sell bull calves rather than rearing them, which means more grass is available for spring grazing by the yearling replacements with the lighter group turned out earliest. In spring 2016, Paddy decided to use easy calving dairy AI on the heifers for the first time which has worked well and also contributes to the higher average weight at the start of the breeding season. BALANCING INVESTMENTS In the three years from 2015 – 2018, Paddy has invested €541,000 on putting in the infrastructure to support his farm expansion. He invested €265,000 on a 26 unit herringbone milking parlour and dairy and €30,000 on bulk tank. The parlour is open plan with good cow flow and designed to be as labour efficient as possible. It has cluster removers, variable milk pumps, vacuum pumps and a plate cooler – and the capacity for one person to milk 180 cows per hour. Paddy invested €120,000 to increase accommodation with housing practically doubled to accommodate 250 cows. He has also invested in field infrastructure, silage slab and slurry storage. With borrowings to support investment at this scale, Paddy is managing finances very carefully. He is working with a six year financial plan but is keeping a regular eye on Profit Monitor and cash flow figures. The overall net profit per dairy hectare has nearly doubled, increasing from €1,171 to €1,889 between 2014 and 2017. During the same period net profit per cow increased from €563 to €678. Paddy has increased average milk yield from 4,330 litres per cow in 2014 to 5,117 in 2017 with milk solids per cow increasing from 337 kg to 416 kg in that time. If you look at the improvements in milk solids per dairy hectare they have gone up from 701 in 2014 to 1,160 in 2017. GRASS & SOIL MEASUREMENTS When you need to produce as much milk off the milking platform as possible, good grass is essential. Paddy has reseeded 50% of his in the last 4 years. He is measuring grass weekly and acting on the figures, with surplus turned into bales. The land is mapped now with improved water and upgraded roadways. In 2017 milking platform stocking rate was 2.79 (LU/ha). Paddy is currently growing 14.6 tonnes of DM/hectare which has improved from 13 in 2015. Paddy has also improved soil fertility on this dry, free-draining land, with pH >6.3 at 90% in 2017 up from 36% in 2015. Phosphorus Index 3/4 was up to 80% in 2017 from 50% in 2015; and Potassium index 3/4 was at 68% in 2017 from 55% in 2015.

SUCCESSFUL NAVIGATION Paddy is navigating his progress steadily as the farm expands, aiming to have a sustainable system that can be managed in a simple way. He is doing this with the support of a full time student each year, which is working out. Paddy enjoys rallying when he can and following motor sports at home and overseas - navigating off-farm when the opportunity arises. LAOIS FARMER REACHING BROADER HORIZONS

“The Programme has taught me to work smart so that I can free up time for jobs which feed into decision making.” Martin Davin Eglish, Co. Laois Martin Davin’s family have farmed at Eglish near Rathdowney in Co Laois for three centuries. Martin’s Dad, Tim, was diagnosed with leukaemia in 1999 and decided to take the early retirement scheme. Tim passed away in 2003. Martin did his Green Cert at Rockwell after finishing secondary school and then took over the running of the farm in 1999. At that time it was a mixed farm with tillage, beef and 27 cows on 44.5 hectares (110 acres). Martin secured a grant that was available to young farmers and built a new 8 unit double up milking parlour in 2004. He converted a haybarn and bought some quota, expanding the herd to 40 cows and supplying milk to Glanbia. TURNING POINT In 2009 Martin inherited 12 hectares (30 acres) accessible to cows across the road from the farm house. With the possibility on the horizon that milk quotas would be removed, Martin steered towards dairying and set his sights on further expansion. ‘We had been strangled by quotas for years’. Martin says that taking part in the O’Moore Discussion Group was hugely important in terms of learning new ways of doing things – describing it as ‘a big turning point’. Joining the panel of farmers in the Teagasc Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme was a further step towards focusing his priorities and expanding the farm based on a solid plan. ‘The Programme has taught me to work smart so that I can free up time for jobs which feed into decision making; and to step back and do more planning for the farm. Beforehand, I was measuring grass and I had figures, but I didn’t have the confidence to act on the figures. Now I’m using the information to make improvements.’ INVESTING IN OPTIMUM HERD SIZE Martin milked 76 cows when he joined the Monitor Farm Programme and now has 125 cows, having had to cull some cows for lameness issues last year. He sees 130 cows as the optimum number for his Spring calving herd. In the three years from 2015 - 2018 Martin has invested €367,000 to support the expansion, with €15,000 on field infrastructure such as resurfacing of roads, drainage, fences and changing paddock sizes. Martin spent €12,000 on the bulk tank and €20,000 on the milking parlour, expanding to a 12 unit double up system with cluster removers, auto wash and automatic drafting. The biggest investment was €320,000 in housing for 140 cows with adjoining loose straw calving shed with a pen for any problem cows. As it’s all under one roof it is easier to manage. Martin says his management of farm finances has improved significantly. ‘I was doing Profit Monitor but it is much more focused now. I have better records and budgets. I can track the finances better, which means I can see a problem evolving if there is a difficult year and I can take corrective action.’ The overall net profit per cow has increased from €714 to €895 between 2014 and 2017. Costs reduced from 27.06 cent per litre to 22.56 cent per litre in the same period. IMPROVING LAND USE The farm is now 68ha including four rented hectares– with a 38 hectare of a milking platform. Whilst he had the land, Martin did not start to use it as efficiently as he could until it became evident that quotas would be removed. He has reseeded 80% of the land in the last 4 years and aims to continue to reseed 10% per annum. The farm is a ‘bit fragmented’ with the grazing block divided by three roads – one main road and two quiet roads. About 22 hectares are on an out-farm and those outside blocks are now getting more attention. The farm has been mapped, with paddock sizes increased. He is acting on the figures from measuring grass and turning surplus into bales for more difficult times. In 2017 milking platform stocking rate was 3.18 (Lu/Ha). Martin was achieving 16.6 kg DM/hectare grass growth up from 13 kg DM/hectare in 2015. Soil fertility has improved hugely during the Monitor Farm Programme. Martin was soil testing every five years but is now testing every two years and will continue at the level. He has improved soil fertility with pH >6.3 at 90% in 2017 up from 78% in 2015. P Index 3/4 was up to 90% in 2017 from 75% in 2015; and K index 3/4 was at 25% in 2017 from 8% in 2015. ‘K levels are still a bit low with more work to be done there.’ YIELDS AND SOLIDS Martin has seen average milk yield increased from 5,160 litres per cow in 2014 to 6,406 in 2017 and average milk solids per cow increase from 402 kg in 2014 to 516 kg in 2017. If you look at the improvements in milk solids per dairy hectare they have gone up from 763 in 2014 to 1,269 in 2017. ‘Whether you’re breeding for solids or for yields – the results come from having the right grass. The key efficiencies all tie in together and manifest themselves in the milk and yield.’ CALF REARING & HERD HEALTH There is a big empHasis on calf rearing on the farm. Martin’s partner, Lena Sheahan, is a vet and actively helps on the farm during the busy calving period. Martin believes the first 12 weeks are important to ensuring calves are healthy, saying colostrum has a big role to play. Weighing calves regularly allows him to separate out the lighter calves into a group which needs more attention. Martin and Lena also work with Glanbia’s vet Shane McElroy on herd health planning and vaccination Programmes, using an online facility which sends text reminders to him in advance of vaccinations. DIFFICULT YEAR WITH NEW HORIZONS In 2014 Martin had 88% of heifers calving between 22-26 months. In 2017 he had increased this to 100%. The 2018 breeding season was difficult to manage at a personal level as Martin’s mother was sick. Martin’s mother, Brid, passed away in early September, 2018. ‘I am not driven by wanting to milk the most cows in the parish,’ says Martin. ‘I want to get things done right on the farm and run it efficiently. But I appreciate that it’s important to be able to have some free time and I need to enjoy what I’m doing.’ Martin has part-time support from Martin Sutcliffe and brings in a third person during the peak calving period. He is now using contractors where he can for jobs like slurry spreading, fertilizer spreading, silage and bailing, which allows Martin to work more consistent hours. He enjoys travelling and tries to take a break when the cows are dry. Cuba, India and Vietnam have been experiences to remember. Argentina is on his horizons for a visit, but some of Martin’s friends who live overseas have been very supportive through his mother’s illness, so he may try to plan his next trip based on a visit to friends in Hong Kong and Australia.

PROGRESSIVE FARMING IS ROOTED IN KEEN INTEREST Kilkenny Dairy Farm Expansion Based on Informed Choices

“I’m definitely glad I did the programme. The farm is more efficient and more productive all round.” Pat Dillon, Grangecuffe, Co. Kilkenny

Pat Dillon is the fourth generation of his family to farm at Grangecuffe, Co. Kilkenny. His parents, Andy and Brigid, ran a mixed farm with 30-40 cows, finishing cattle, sheep and tillage. Pat always wanted to be involved with the family farm and says if you want to farm and have a genuine keen interest, you will look for plenty of information and find ways to do it well. He studied at Kildalton Agricultural College and then worked on the farm, taking over the management in 2007 when his father retired. The size of the farm now is not radically different – Pat bought eight hectares from a neighbour – but the number of cows has increased significantly and Pat says access to information has helped him make very informed choices. Finding ways to use time efficiently is important to Pat. He married Una, who is a teacher, in 2006 and they have three sons – Conor, Andrew and Harry. Pat, who used to hurl for Danesfort, also likes to train some of the young lads’ teams.

FARM MORE EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE NOW Pat was asked would he take part in the Teagasc Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme in 2015. The Joint Programme set out to help dairy farmers take advantage of growth opportunities that arose post quota. Pat says it’s been a good experience. He feels the farm is better set up from a labour perspective and is achieving better cow performance. ‘I’m definitely glad I did it as the farm is more efficient all round and more productive.’

EXPANDING HERD WITH INCREASED YIELD The focus is now entirely on dairy farming, supplying manufacturing milk to Glanbia Ireland. Pat had grown the herd to 100 cows by 2015. He is now milking 126 cows in the Holstein Friesian herd on a milking platform of 38 hectares. The average yield was 6,119 litres per cow in 2017, up from 4,898 litres per cow in 2014. He is likely to expand the herd a little more in 2019. Pat says that the amount of information he has at his fingertips is tremendous. ‘There is no question but the use of computers and paperwork is very different on today’s farm – but when you have access to that kind of detail, it helps you make better planning decisions.’

KEY IMPROVEMENTS Since getting involved in the Teagasc Glanbia Programme, some key improvements are that cow numbers and cow output have gone up. In addition to the improvement in milk yield, fat percentage is up from 4.08% in 2014 to 4.35% in 2017 and protein from 3.48% to 3.63% in the same period. Milk solids increased from 382kg to 503 kg and from 979kg/ ha to 1,696 kg/ ha in those four years.

Pat has grown a lot more grass and improved stocking rate. In 2017 Pat grew 17 tonnes of grass, up from 13 tonnes in 2015. He had already been improving pH levels gradually as part of the REPs Programme.

‘Soil testing had been ad hoc but is much better managed now,’ says Pat. ‘This helped to identify fields which are deficient. We have plans involving earlier nitrogen, using a little more nitrogen, a heavier stocking rate and longer grazing season. We’re getting the first round grazed earlier and getting it grazed when it should be, getting that extra bit of grass for the system.’ Pat has been doing some reseeding every year with 80% reseeded over the last seven years.

Pat’s milking parlour, a 14 unit herringbone, is only about five years old and relatively new. Since getting involved in the Monitor Farm Programme he has made changes to fencing, improved water and built a new housing unit with capacity for 150 cows which has made a big difference. ‘The animals had been accommodated across three or four different buildings. Now they can be cared for and monitored under one roof - a more efficient use of my time,’ says Pat. ‘It was a great move.’

CONTRACT REARING Pat first tried contract rearing in 2015. Heifers leave the farm in mid-March at about 13 or 14 months of age. The contractor manages the first breeding season and they are in-calf when they return in mid -November.

This has been a big change from a labour perspective. ‘In the past I was separating stock and managing two groups. Now I’m keeping an eye on one group of stock for breeding and AI,’ says Pat. ‘It’s a relatively new system for me but I will be continuing with it.’

Pat believes the farm rearer is very well suited as he has outside blocks so Pat’s stock separated from other anomals. All of the herd is also vaccinated well including for BVD, Lepto, IBR and salmonella as Pat believes it’s important to vaccinate to avoid trouble. LONG TERM LEASE OPENS DOOR TO DAIRY FARMING FOR NEW ENTRANT

“Whilst we had experience of grassland management, the Monitor Farm programme showed us how it was a whole different ballgame in dairy.” Jamie Kealy Tullow, Co. Carlow

Jamie and Lorraine Kealy were new to dairy farming and have steadily built a successful enterprise within five years, based on seeking out and using advice to guide their plans. Living at Rathoe near Tullow, Co. Carlow they have a long term lease for a milking platform at Slaneyquarter. Jamie was not from a farming background. His family were involved in building for generations. Jamie initially followed his father into carpentry but then moved to self-employment as a contractor. He became involved in agriculture through construction of housing facilities like slatted houses and land drainage. Jamie and Lorraine realised that they needed to learn as much as they could and joined the Teagasc/Farmers Journal Better Farm Programme ‘We developed a huge focus on grass – on the importance of measuring grass, budgeting grass and we could see how the work made a massive difference in terms of liveweight gains.’ The Kealys purchased a further 5.67 hectares (14 acres) by 2010 bringing their holding to 12.14 hectares (30 acres). LEASE OPTION In 2013 the Kealys had the opportunity to enter into a long term lease for land. ‘We had done some work with the land owner and even explored the possibility of entering into a beef enterprise partnership with him. But when we sat down and looked at the figures, dairy farming presented a much better opportunity.’ Jamie and Lorraine signed a 15 year lease and feel they are very fortunate to have a good relationship with the land owner, who doesn’t hold them back. The Kealys worked on a six year plan, getting support and input from Teagasc. They applied for a new entrant dairy quota in 2013 and began milking in Spring 2014, supplying milk to Glanbia. ‘We were tremendously lucky that the milking platform land we leased was good quality; and the owner already had quite good infrastructure in place in terms of housing. We put some additional cubicles into an existing shed; and used an existing buildings to install an eight unit Boumatic milking parlour. We also made some improvements to roadways and water.’ LEARNING THE TEXT BOOK ‘LATEST’ ‘We had never milked a cow before or run a dairy farm – so we knew we had a lot to learn. The advantage is that we felt we had to do everything by the text book, so it was the latest thinking. We brought no bad habits with us and there was nothing to interfere with our plans.’ ‘Getting involved in the Teagasc/Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme came at the right time for us. It provided us with access to invaluable and progressive advice. We’re gaining a lot from it,’ says Jamie. If he was to zone in on three areas they have benefited from the most, he would say it was grassland, breeding, and cash flow/financial planning. QUICK GROWTH NEEDED ‘Once we signed the lease we had to pay the costs every year, so we needed to grow numbers quickly,’ says Jamie. ‘Our target was to have 130 cows by 2019. We started off with 64 in-calf heifers in 2013/2014. We currently have 98 milking cows with 44 in-calf heifers and a further 40 yearlings in the system. The milking parlour had space and was expanded to a 12 unit by Spring 2017. In 2017 94% of heifers were calving at 22-26 months. The bull calves are sold early with the rest brought back to the home block where Lorraine manages the rearing. ‘Removing them from the main herd works well from a herd health point of view also.’ The Kealys have worked closely with Glanbia’s vet Shane McElory and have a Herd Health Plan in place including vaccination Programme. They are also taking part in a Johnes Programme. GRASSLAND AND SOIL FERTILITY The overall farm is now 67 hectares with 37 hectares of a milking platform and the rest of the land dedicated to replacements and silage. The land leased for the milking block was in super fertility and had good soil indexes. The owner had already reseeded 15% of it before the Kealys signed their lease. They knew the first two years would be lowly stocked so it was a good chance to get more reseeding done. A further 50% was reseeded in the second year. Jamie says it has made a pHenomenal difference compared to the old swards. ‘In 2015 we took on a separate piece of land which had been in tillage. The soil fertility there was much poorer and grass was poorer, which shows how hard it can be to build up land which had been in tillage and to convert it to dairy.’ Overall figures for soil fertility have improved with pH >6.3 at 88% in 2017 up from 66% in 2015. K index 3/4 was at 54% and at 45% in 2015. P Index 3/4 is 81% in 2017. ‘Whilst we had experience of grassland management, the Monitor Farm Programme showed us how it was a whole different ball game in dairy. It concentrated on grass a lot, on growing and managing grass properly and we can see the benefits of that in the cows straight away, in their milking and performance. The Kealys were achieving 16 kg DM/hectare grass growth in 2017 – up from 13.2 kg DM/hectare in 2015. In 2014 milking platform stocking rate was 1.89 (Lu/Ha) which had increased to 2.51 by 2017. RETURNS The Kealys have seen average milk yield increase from 5,405 litres per cow in 2014 to 6,812 in 2017; with milk solids per cow increasing from 435 g/cow in 2014 to 566 kg/cow in 2017. Once signed, the lease costs and expenses have been more or less the same and there was an initial investment of approximately €25,000 in materials for setting out paddocks, water improvement, milking parlour and upgrading facilities. But the herd has grown successfully in that time. Lorraine, who works part time as an Accounts Assistant, also helps with the books and figures. The Profit Monitor results show the overall net profit per cow has jumped significantly, increasing from €450 to €1425 between 2014 to 2017. In that same period, costs reduced from 29.41 cent per litre to 18.49 cent per litre. Jamie and Lorraine are very happy with progress. ‘‘We were very lucky to get into the Monitor Farm Programme. We have been careful about getting advice and then following the advice in a dedicated way,’ says Jamie. ‘We have had to follow the text book way of doing things as we didn’t know any other way. It has worked, although I still think we have more to learn.’ THE RIGHT CHOICE Jamie and Lorraine feel they have made the right choice for themselves and their children, Áilbhe (8) and James (4). ‘Farming allows us the flexibility to collect our children from school. It would be hard to have that privilege working off farm.’ KILMACOW DAIRY FARMER STRIVING FOR CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT

“The programme has helped me to improve work practices and to manage my labour on the farm more efficiently.” Brendan Phelan Kilmacow, Co. Kilkenny Richard Phelan moved from Mullinavat to Kilmacow in the 1970’s to start farming, around the same time as he married Mary. When Richard passed away in 2001 their son, Brendan, took over the running of the farm based near the Kilkenny – Waterford border. Brendan grew up on the mixed dairy and beef farm and had always been interested in farming. He completed his Green Cert in Rockwell in 1990 but it was a relatively small farm at the time and milk quota was a big constraint. Brendan spent some time during the boom years involved in building in Ireland, before returning to farming. OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND Starting out with 28.3 hectares (70 acres) the real opportunities to expand came when Brendan inherited another 27 hectares (67 acres) in 2003 and later he was fortunate when some land adjoining his farm become available to lease. Now farming 82 hectares, Brendan leases 70% of the 57 hectare milking platform and says he has only ‘really got going’ since 2015 when milk quotas were abolished. FOCUS ON DAIRY Back in 2001 the farm was still a mixed dairying and beef enterprise, with quotas a major limiting factor. Brendan has been focusing entirely on dairy farming since 2013, believing it is better to specialise in one area and get the best out of it. The Jersey cross herd is Spring calving, supplying milk to Glanbia. At the end of 2014, Brendan was asked to take part in the Teagasc Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme, which was set up to help dairy farmers promote sustainable growth post-quotas. When Brendan took over the farm it had appriximately 40 cows. By 2014 he had more than doubled the herd to 100 and in 2018 he milked 150. It is a relatively young herd. ‘We actually had 190 at the start of Summer 2018 but with the difficult drought conditions decided to cull back problem animals. My target is to be milking about 190 cows in Spring 2019. With 64 replacement in-calf heifers coming through the system, I think that is a realistic target, all going well’ says Brendan BETTER MANAGEMENT OF TIME Brendan has been contract rearing since 2013 and feels he is lucky to have found somebody nearby to manage this. Weaned stock go to the contract rearer at about 100 kg and return to the farm in November of the second year as in-calf heifers. ‘Contract rearing effectively saves half a labour unit. It improves how I can manage my time better, focusing on the cows that are milking and on the overall management of the farm.’ Most of the machinery work is contracted out and Brendan has also started to use part time labour strategically in the busy Spring period as well as relief milkers. ‘I am constantly trying to improve how things are done and the Monitor Farm Programme is helping me to see how I can be more effective with my time and get that bit more from the resources that I have.’ INVESTMENT In the past three years, Brendan invested €147,000 in farm infrastructure to support his expansion plans. The biggest part of this was €122,000 on a new tank for slurry storage with feeding space and cubicles. The work on housing finished in October 2018 which saw housing capacity expand from 185 to 240. Brendan has been using his existing 16 unit milking parlour with a drafting unit. He has invested €14,500 in grazing infrastructure such as water troughs, pipes, upgrading of existing roads or putting new roads into the land leased since 2015. COSTS REDUCING AND PROFITS INCREASING Brendan has been using Profit Monitor and feels he is continuously learning how to improve budgeting and financial management on previous years. He has seen average milk yield increased from 4,216 litres per cow in 2014 to 5,128 litres in 2017. Average milk solids per dairy hectare increased from 740kg/ha in 2014 to 1,173kg/ha in 2017; with milk solids per cow increasing from 374 kg in 2014 to 462 kg in 2017. The overall net profit per cow has almost doubled in those three years, increasing from 495 to 952 between 2014 and 2017. Costs reduced from 28.58 cent per litre to 22.38 cent per litre in the same period LOW LYING LAND Brendan describes 2018 as the ‘reverse’ of any normal year, with difficult conditions and drought, but hopes to see things resuming to normal in 2019. The land around Ballykillaboy and his farm is low lying and generally dry land under normal circumstances. Brendan has recently mapped the farm and increased paddock sizes with more access points. Some paddocks were amalgamated as herd size increased, which brought down the number of paddocks. One block of 17 hectares that came available had been used for tillage so it was reseeded towards the end of 2014. Brendan has reseeded half of the land in the last four years and will continue to reseed in future years. In 2014 the milking platform stocking rate was 2.89 (LU/ha). It had increased to 3.16 LU/ha by 2017. Brendan was achieving 16 tonnesDM/ hectare grass growth in 2017 – up from tonnes DM/hectare in 2015. Brendan does soil testing saying ‘you’re not going anywhere if you don’t know your soil fertility’. In 2017 75% of the farm had a pH greater than 6.3, compared to 20% of the farm in 2015. PhospHorous Index 3/4 was up to 90% in 2017 from 70% in 2015; and Potassium index 3/4 was at 90% in 2017, unchanged from 2015. HERD HEALTH Brendan works with his own local vet and Glanbia’s Shane McElory on herd health planning including a comprehensive vaccination Programme, saying he is ‘much better disciplined about vaccination now.’ He has seen six week calving rate moved from 76% in 2014 to 88% in 2017; with numbers of heifers calving at 22-26 months at 97%. However 2018 was the first year he didn’t use bulls and he is a bit disappointed with the results, saying the overall pregnancy rate at the end of ten weeks was not where it should be. Brendan will keep this under review but recognises his herd still has quite a young age profile. CONSTANTLY IMPROVING ‘Improving work practices and managing labour more efficiently are important parts of the Monitor Farm Programme. I have been concentrating better on management of costs and have improved management of stock,’ says Brendan. ‘I keep striving to improve, constantly improving year on year so that I can try to achieve more out of what I have. CLEVER USE OF TIME AND RESOURCES SUPPORTS EXPANSION ON CORK DAIRY FARM

“ The programme helped me identify what can and needs to be achieved and to develop a plan for the farm ” Donal O’Reilly, Watergrasshill, Co. Cork

Donal O’Reilly grew up on the family farm at Bishops Island, beside Watergrasshill village in Co. Cork. When his parents Tadhg and Margaret ran the farm, they milked 60-70 cows, with all stock reared either as replacements or calf to beef.

LEARNING SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY Donal is a progressive farmer who believes he is ‘learning something new every day.’ He feels it’s important to learn from the experiences of other farmers. Donal has always sourced valuable information from Discussion Groups, local farmers, and conferences. ‘Now, social media is also a useful problem solving network. You can follow a conversation with farmers and see a solution play out in front of your eyes.’ Donal studied at Kildalton and completed a two year Dairy Diploma in Clonakilty before coming home to farm with his parents in 2002. They formed a formal Milk Production Partnership in 2009. This allowed Donal to gradually take on more responsibility, while allowing Tadhg and Margaret to ease gently into retirement. The dairy herd has now tripled to 180 cows in 2018. It is an entirely dairy enterprise with a Spring calving herd supplying Glanbia Ireland. Donal joined the Teagasc & Glanbia Monitor Farm Programme in 2015. ‘It helped me identify what can and needs to be achieved and to develop a plan for the farm,’ says Donal. ‘I’m using time more efficiently and working towards a goal. I have gained a lot from it.’

IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME AND PRODUCTIVITY The decision to look for a contract rearer has been a good one. Donal found a contract rearer nearby who runs a closed unit. Donal keeps calves until about ten months. They move to the contractor around the start of December and return to Donal the following October or November when they are in calf. This frees up time Donal would have spent caring for those animals and breeding the maiden heifers. ‘It makes a huge difference workwise. I can concentrate on the milking herd in that busy time and it has opened up land for more milking cows.’ Breeding has improved. ‘We kept as many heifers as we could in the past to build cow numbers. Now we only keep calves from cows that held their first service. We are breeding replacements from the proven cows.’ The herd is disease screening and Donal has a herd health plan. This includes sensitivity testing milk so he uses the right therapy when needed and he has a vaccination Programme in place.

SOIL QUALITY UNDER SCRUTINY Donal believes years of limiting output because of quotas meant the potential of the land was not fully realised. ‘When quotas were abolished we could stock more cows,’ he says. ‘This meant looking at soil quality.’ Donal did soil testing which showed that soil indexes and pH levels were poor. He has worked hard to bring up the P&K indexes and has spread about three tonnes of lime per acre over the past three years for the entire milking block to correct pH levels, seeing a ‘massive improvement.’ PhospHorus index 3/4 from 30% in 2015 to 60% in 2017. Potassium index 3/4 from 10% in 2015 to 80% in 2017 and pH>6.3 was 5% in 2015, up to 90% in 2017. Donal will be continuing soil testing every two years. The overall farm is 74 hectares. The milking platform is 56 hectares and 43% has been reseeded in the last four years. Donal maintains that measuring grass is a very important tool. ‘It’s all about knowing what you have,’ He is now measuring grass twice weekly at the height of the growing season and about forty times a year in total.

INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE Investment in infrastructure was needed - cow roads and passages, water troughs and improved water piping plus a new cow underpass. A new 20 unit parlour is designed to make the most efficient use of labour and is supported by a drafting system. In 2010, the farm had 60 cubicles, so housing needed to increase. 140 new cubicles were built to house 200 cows, with a further 30 available in a converted beef shed.

FAMILY TIME IS IMPORTANT Donal was able to employ someone full time on the farm in 2018 which he says, ‘is the final piece of the plan falling into place.’ Donal married Muireann, a primary school teacher, in 2014. They have a young son, Aidan, who was two years old in October 2018. ‘Keeping work practices as simple as possible is important, in order to free up time for family,’ maintains Donal. His plan under the Monitor Farm Programme was by 2019 to have 200 milking cows, full time labour and all heifers contract reared. He is well on target. For Further Information Contact: Richard O’Brien, Teagasc Kilkenny Joint Programme Co-ordinator T: 056 7721153 | E: [email protected] W: www.teagasc.ie