Paula Hynes: Why I quite enjoy the annual Bord Bia audit

Some people dread the inspection, but to be honest, I quite enjoy it, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Some people dread the inspection, but to be honest, I quite enjoy it, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

I always treasure downtime at the start of the year; it gives us all a chance to take some time out and recharge our batteries.

Now, there are still jobs to do, and this year, we were also milking twice a day, so that was different for us.

I loved milking through the festive period - there is nothing better than spending quality time with my favourite work colleagues and thinking about what needs to be done and organized for calving, so it was the perfect opportunity for those all-important lists that I love.

Normally, I wait till the New Year for the list-making, but this year was a bit different in that our Bord Bia inspection under the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme was changed to early January due to the frosty weather just before Christmas.

I understand that on-farm audits are an integral and necessary component of the audit process and essential to maintaining the scheme's international accreditation.

Bord Bia's role is to market and promote Irish food, drink and horticulture to customers worldwide on the basis of sustainability, traceability and quality. Some people dread the inspection, but to be honest, I quite enjoy it.

It keeps us on our toes as farmers - it's extremely important to keep on top of the paperwork and keep the farm and farmyard looking at its best at all times, which is something which I strive to do at all times.

As the girls will tell you, it's rare you would see me without the yard brush and a wheelbarrow. 

There is a bit of work on the paperwork side of things, with everything having to be recorded down to every last injection every animal receives, as well as all feed and dosing, etc.

During the calving season,  I found it too difficult to keep on top of it all, so this year, we enlisted the help of Agri Audits, an amazing company that can take all the hassle of the paperwork off your hands, just send them the information through an email or a WhatsApp and they will upload it for you.

I find this service extremely helpful, and it takes the stress out of it for me, so I can concentrate on other important things around the farm.

With the Bord Bia inspection looming, it was back to reality a bit earlier than normal for us this year. There were a few jobs that needed attention and plenty of power washing to be done.

The list was made, and we tackled a job every day. The parlour itself was in good shape, it is power washed regularly - my biggest pet hate is a dirty parlour - but it was a good excuse to freshen her up nonetheless.

The calving boxes and calf sheds will also get a second wash, and with calving season only around the corner, it will be another job ticked off the list.

Cows that are missing tags also get their replacement tags, and that’s another task done for the annual TB test, which is also due at the start of February. 

Give me the Bord Bia inspection any day over TB testing, for me it’s the most stressful few days in the farming calendar, especially at this time of the year when my ladies are so heavy in-calf, but unfortunately, it is a requirement, and it has to be done.

Thankfully, we haven't had an outbreak since 2014, when we had 32 reactors. I was very new to farming at that stage, and it nearly broke me when I had to say goodbye to those ladies.

It's impossible not to form a bond with the ladies when you spend so much of your time with them and when you lose them like something to TB it is truly heartbreaking.

Thanks to the impending Bord Bia inspection, I will be ahead of schedule with the preparations for calving as well, so I see that as a win for me.

I take great pride in having a tidy yard, and it's so much easier to keep it that way throughout the year, especially if you have people dropping in.

Don’t get me wrong, I'm far from perfect, there are bits and pieces that would have been put off being done the jobs nobody likes doing, like tidying the bale wraps, for example.

So, all those tedious jobs will now be resolved. With a lot of the jobs out of the way, I will be for once organized for the girls going back to school.

I'm looking forward to welcoming the Bord Bia inspector and showing him or her how proud we are of our livestock and how proud we are to be farmers, a message that then gets relayed to the global customers of Irish dairy produce.