Farming - Signpost

Sign in

Farming

Forecast

WEATHER

Grass

GRASS

FARMING - Signpost

An Irish Examiner series which is part of an ongoing collaborative programme supporting Irish farmers in reducing emissions from agriculture.

<p>Farmer Michael Forde, Parkhouse, Annagh West, Corrandulla, Co Galway. Picture: Ray Ryan</p>

farming

Less silage, more grazing: Rethink is driving efficiency on Michael's Galway sheep farm

'Grazed grass is by far the cheapest and best feed we have on our farm,' says Michael Forde

<p>Dylon feeds the cattle as his father Denis Hickey looks on at their dairy beef farm just outside Midleton in Co Cork. Picture Chani Anderson</p>

farming

Signpost: Counting stars at Denis Hickey's Midleton calf-rearing unit

<p>Kay O’Sullivan pictured with a day-old lamb in the sheep barn at her organic farm, Glynn Farm, near Mallow. Picture: Chani Anderson</p>

farming

From calving to clover: a busy spring on Kay's organic suckler farm

Coping with high fertiliser prices on grassland farms

farming

Coping with high fertiliser prices on grassland farms

Three systems, one goal: reducing costs in a €200/t grain market

farming

Three systems, one goal: reducing costs in a €200/t grain market

Signpost: Successful lambing, soil management, and feed strategies

farming

Signpost: Successful lambing, soil management, and feed strategies

Brian Reidy

Hazell Mullins, Vet on the Moove

Kieran Coughlan, Farm Finance

Paula Hynes, Hoofing It

Signpost: Navigating the spring challenges of calf sourcing, grazing, and fertiliser delays

Signpost: Navigating the spring challenges of calf sourcing, grazing, and fertiliser delays

Grassland management this spring has been disrupted by recent poor weather and grazing conditions.

Tue, 24 Mar, 2026

Signpost: Weighing calves at birth to improve the information being recorded for ICBF

Signpost: Weighing calves at birth to improve the information being recorded for ICBF

Navigating spring with data-backed lambing, calving, multi-species swards, and meticulous health management.

Tue, 17 Mar, 2026

Tom Barry: Why cost-of-production figures matter more than ever for Irish tillage

Tom Barry: Why cost-of-production figures matter more than ever for Irish tillage

From yields to carbon figures and farm trials, there is plenty of data to stay on top of, says the North Cork tillage farmer

Fri, 06 Mar, 2026

Siobhan Kavanagh: Don’t wait for autumn — take every chance to get lime out

Siobhan Kavanagh: Don’t wait for autumn — take every chance to get lime out

Effective liming begins with regular soil testing, ideally every three to five years, to determine precise lime requirements

Mon, 02 Mar, 2026

Signpost: Preparing for lambing in Galway with good systems and smart planning

Signpost: Preparing for lambing in Galway with good systems and smart planning

Family teamwork and smart systems are helping Michael keep ahead of the lambing chaos in Galway

Tue, 24 Feb, 2026

Signpost: Grazing redstart on Kay's organic farm

Signpost: Grazing redstart on Kay's organic farm

Kay has been feeding her weanlings a redstart crop — a hybrid brassica, essentially combining the rapid growth of forage rape with the hardiness of kale

Wed, 18 Feb, 2026

Signpost: From leased out land to a family farm — Denis's journey into dairy-beef

Signpost: From leased out land to a family farm — Denis's journey into dairy-beef

After leasing his farm out for over 30 years, Denis decided to use it himself to farm. A short period of contract rearing was followed by a year on the DairyBeef500 programme to help him on his venture as a beef farmer

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Euro banknote currency finance background

Are you taking advantage of the supports available to your farm?

While farmers have limited influence over the introduction of regulations, they have control over the advisory supports and incentives they choose to engage with, advises Siobhán Kavanagh

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Darren Allen: Reduced cultivations and cover crops delivering gains in wheat establishment trials

Darren Allen: Reduced cultivations and cover crops delivering gains in wheat establishment trials

There has been no water ponding so far this winter, which is welcome given past yield losses from poor drainage

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Signpost: The organic beef farm performing better than many conventional suckler herds

Signpost: The organic beef farm performing better than many conventional suckler herds

As steers are finished without concentrates at 19.2 months of age, Kay's organic farm exceeds many conventional suckler farm output

Wed, 10 Dec, 2025

Oats: A crop with more value than the market realises

Oats: A crop with more value than the market realises

Oats continues to be one of Ireland’s most dependable tillage crops, writes Teagasc crops specialist Ciaran Collins, but is it time the market responded to the benefits?

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025

Stretching the grazing season: How Tomás is cutting winter costs

Stretching the grazing season: How Tomás is cutting winter costs

Normally, Tomás would house his lowland ewes in early December. However, this year he wants to keep them out for as long as possible

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025

‘Bee the Change’: The photograph that stole the show at Teagasc’s Science Week

‘Bee the Change’: The photograph that stole the show at Teagasc’s Science Week

This year’s competition attracted 82 image entries, with the top 12 selected for an exhibition held in Teagasc's head office in Oak Park House last week

Tue, 25 Nov, 2025

Teagasc dairy conference heads for Tipperary and Cavan

Teagasc dairy conference heads for Tipperary and Cavan

The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Pathways to Progress’

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025

Tom Barry: How 2025’s dry season reshaped tillage outcomes

Tom Barry: How 2025’s dry season reshaped tillage outcomes

This year will live long in my memory as a very dry year, punctuated with occasional rainfall, writes North Cork tillage farmer Tom Barry

Thu, 06 Nov, 2025

Smarter food: How AI is shaping the future of Ireland’s food industry

Smarter food: How AI is shaping the future of Ireland’s food industry

The Teagasc Food Innovation Gateway event heard how AI can promote sustainability, ensure traceability, and reduce energy consumption and waste

Thu, 06 Nov, 2025

Signpost: The results are in for Eamon and Donnchadh's 2025 silage

Signpost: The results are in for Eamon and Donnchadh's 2025 silage

We got our silage analysed and are very happy with the results for first, second, and third cut silage. All silage made on the farm in 2025 has high DMD (Dry Matter Digestibility).

Wed, 05 Nov, 2025

Teagasc hosts major water quality conference

Teagasc hosts major water quality conference

The event aimed to deepen understanding of the current policy, science, and practice around agriculture and water quality

Fri, 31 Oct, 2025

Road Washout in Fishing Village

Signpost: Developing a carbon farming framework in Ireland

Carbon farming recognises the capacity of farmers through appropriate land-based activities to remove carbon from the atmosphere or reduce GHG emissions from the soil.

Fri, 31 Oct, 2025

Signpost: When I start feeding silage, I start with the red clover bales

Signpost: When I start feeding silage, I start with the red clover bales

As the time changes, I think I will have to bring the cows in at night. We can’t complain with this as we are nearly into November

Wed, 29 Oct, 2025

Signpost: Our better-quality silage will be targeted to the weanlings

Signpost: Our better-quality silage will be targeted to the weanlings

We have completed the final fodder budget after the third cut in early September, so we should have enough silage to carry us through to April next year, write Waterford suckler farmers Eamon and Donnchadh McCarthy

Mon, 27 Oct, 2025

Shaping tomorrow’s agriculture: Lessons from award-winning farmers

Shaping tomorrow’s agriculture: Lessons from award-winning farmers

While farming often makes headlines for its environmental challenges, the judging panel explained that many farmers are already making remarkable progress.

Thu, 16 Oct, 2025

Signpost: Using precision technology to improve water quality

Signpost: Using precision technology to improve water quality

How a tillage farmer improved water quality on his farm

Fri, 10 Oct, 2025

Signpost: Tomas prepares his ewes, rams and replacements for the busy breeding season

Signpost: Tomas prepares his ewes, rams and replacements for the busy breeding season

I have been busy on the farm over the last number of weeks with certain tasks that have to be prioritised. In the past while, I have dipped all the sheep on the farm. I have also been checking the lowland and hill flock ewes for body condition.

Sun, 05 Oct, 2025

Signpost: Strong grass growth keeps cows out full-time in October

Signpost: Strong grass growth keeps cows out full-time in October

Cows are currently milking 16.2 litres per day at 4.8% fat and 4.14% protein, which is 1.49kg milk solids per cow. Cows are receiving 16kg of grass and 4kg of meal in the parlour

Sat, 27 Sep, 2025

Farming

Newsletter

Stay ahead of the season. Sign up for insights, expert advice and stories shaping Irish agriculture.

Farming Crossword

Play Today

PLAY THE WEEKLY FARMING CROSSWORD

The interactive version of the crossword that appears in Thursday’s Farming supplement. No cheating.