Dairy farmers to act as advocates for biodiversity

Louise Crowley farms a milking herd of 180 cows in Croom, Co. Limerick, with her father.

A team of 11 dairy farmers has signed up to act as advocates and spokespeople for Ireland’s family-farm-based, grass-fed dairy production system.

The farmers — male and female, both established and new to the business — will speak on behalf of Ireland’s 17,500 family dairy farms. As part of the National Dairy Council campaign, the farmers appear in videos showcasing the measures being taken to make Irish dairy more sustainable.

They speak about initiatives and game-changing technology like milking robots; breeding programmes for a more sustainable cow; clover in fields to reduce the need for fertiliser; and better land management to increase biodiversity and capture more carbon.

Zoë Kavanagh, chief executive of the National Dairy Council, believes that there needs to be more balance in the debate around the future of dairy farming.

“For some time now, the industry has lacked a consistent approach to communicating our side of the story and, as a result, we’ve been on the back foot,” Ms Kavanagh said.

This is frustrating for our farmers because they want to tell the Irish public all about the big steps they are taking to reduce their emissions and make dairy farming more sustainable.

“The farmer ambassador programme provides a voice for our industry, and we want to provide the platforms that they need to tell their stories so the public can feel better connected to the farming process that ultimately puts the dairy in their fridge.”

National Dairy Council communications manager Cathy Curran added that these ambassadors “are real farmers who work 365 days a year to produce arguably the best-quality dairy produce in the world”.

"More than ever before we need to have some balance in the debate around emissions and the farmer voice has been missing from this narrative for too long.

“They are keen to tell their story of the big steps they are taking to reduce their emissions and make dairy farming more sustainable so that the industry can have a bright future ahead,” Ms Curran told the Irish Examiner.

Ambassadors

Among the National Dairy Council ambassadors are Angela Brickley, who farms with her husband in Coolrain, Co. Laois, concentrating on breeding dairy cows with beef characteristics; and Nicholas Cooney, who farms 500 acres and has 480 cows with his wife and three children in Monasterboice, Co. Louth.

Louise Crowley is in Croom, Co Limerick, and has been farming full time with her father since 2018, with a milking herd of 180 cows. Shane Fitzgerald farms a dairy herd with his father in the shadows of the Comeragh mountains, Co. Waterford.

Miriam Gunn in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, farms 180 Holstein cows with her husband and their four children, including 12-year-old Olivia, who is also an ambassador.

"It is a business, but it's a family business. That's probably the most important part for us" Eamon Sheehan, NDC Farmer Ambassador, talks about the importance of family on his farm & how he's helped with the biodiversity on his land.

Find out more here: https://t.co/hUIcwljOr0 pic.twitter.com/PuGZpyz1LG

— National Dairy Council (@NDC_ie) August 21, 2022

Nicole Keohane is in Innishannon, Co. Cork, working alongside her grandparents who have been farming the land for over 30 years, and are currently milking just under 100 cows; and in Annestown, Co. Waterford, Niall Moore farms with his wife and their four children caring for 130 cows.

Also in Waterford is Tom Power, who farms 500 cows with his wife and three children in Ballymullala.

Meanwhile, Eamon Sheehan farms 180 acres with his wife and two children in Bawnlusk, Co. Kilkenny; and in the same county, Cathal Moran is farming 177 hectares.