Crowds attend Agri Aware open farm in Waterford
Younger visitors to the open day enjoy meeting the Agri Aware mobile farm animals.
There were over 1,000 visitors to the Fitzgerald's dairy farm in Co Waterford this past weekend for the Agri Aware open farm event.
Despite worrying heavy clouds on Sunday morning, by 11am when the gates opened for the one-day event, the sun began to shine and remained throughout the course of the day.
Both young and old arrived to the farm in Kilmagemogue, Portlaw, with smiles and an eagerness to learn all there is to know about producing quality milk in a sustainable fashion.
Visitors arrived at the main yard before making their way down the biodiversity trail, and along this trail, they walked along a designated path both on the main farm roadway and through the paddocks to see and learn about the milking cows, calves, flora, fauna and soil on the farm.
Back in the main yard, the National Dairy Council’s farmer advocacy manager Majella McCafferty was situated in the milking parlour talking about how the cows graze grass and convert it to milk and how that milk the cows produces ends up in the shops.
Beside the parlour in the paddock nearest to the yard was the main stage area, where Waterford-based chef Paul Flynn carried out three cooking demonstrations, and in between, panel discussions were held, including one focused on the history of the Fitzgerald's farm and how it has evolved to the present day.
The Agri Aware open days aim to promote greater awareness among people of modern agriculture, the rural environment, animal welfare, food quality and safety; and inform the non-farming community about the crucial role that the farming and agri-food industry play in the Irish economy.
Agri Aware chairman Shay Galvin said the recent event hoped to "bridge the gap between consumer and producer; it is an opportunity to see what happens at the coalface of the sector".
"Farming is the heartbeat of our land and our people and as a sector we need to continue to communicate the vital links between agriculture, food, the environment, and our economy to the consumer," he said.
