Less than a decade ago, Country Crest asked Simon Donohoe to grow some onions. Since then, the Wexford man has developed into Ireland’s premier onion grower. We visited his impressive mixed farm at Curracloe in the Model County to take a look at day-to-day operations and to reflect on the history of this unique and progressive farming enterprise.
The voyage into the world of onion growing began in 2005 when Simon Donohoe took a vagary and planted four acres of onions on his farm in Curracloe, County Wexford. The venture went well, with returns improving each year so naturally Simon upped the acreage gradually. For the past four years he has been growing 55 acres of onions, making him one of the biggest producers in the Republic of Ireland.
Curracloe is ideal for growing potatoes and onions as it is close to the sea and a frost-free part of the country, which eliminates the risk of frost damage. The sandy soil in the hurling heartland of the sunny south east is also a major plus.
In a country where tillage is generally restricted to safe and unadventurous cereal growing, Simon has broken the mould to branch into the large-scale production of vegetables. His decision to grow onions in Wexford means that a much higher percentage of onions purchased in Irish multiples are home grown – not only does the consumer benefit from fresher produce but exports are also decreased, which can only be good for everybody.
Simon Donohoe is a self-made farmer. He left school at 14 and was soon regularly visiting the wholesale vegetable markets in Dublin. When he set up his own modest farm, he started out growing potatoes. Soon, he diversified into growing carrots for John Dockrell. Onions were added; cabbage and broccoli too.
Onions, of course, are a tricky business. If they weren’t, everyone would grow them. A range of expensive specialist equipment is needed for planting the seeds, thinning the seedlings, topping the plants and then pulling them out of the ground. The process is highly mechanised, allowing Simon and his employees to lift up to 200 tonnes in a day.
The onions are grown exclusively for Country Crest in North Dublin, who have a contract to supply multiple giant Tesco, something which fills the Wexford man with great pride. The operation is very much a family business, with son Padraig taking a major role since finishing his studies in Kildalton College. Nephews Richard Doyle and Patrick O’Connor are employed full time, while Simon’s wife Aine is also involved and son Simon Jnr. is likely to join the business once he completes his agricultural studies at WIT.
Reflecting on the genesis of his business, Simon notes: “I was 15 or 16 years old when I started growing potatoes. My parents ran the local post office and an adjoining shop and there was a small bit of land there, a couple of acres. I started the farming more or less from scratch but in fairness my mother and father gave me a good start in life.
“As well as potatoes, I was doing cabbage and carrots. Country Crest, who pack for Tesco, started buying potatoes from me in 1993/94 and I started doing baby salad potatoes for them around ’98. Then, about nine or ten years ago, I started growing onions for them and that took off in a big way.”
Today, as well as County Crest, Simon also grows potatoes for Largo Foods in Ashbourne, County Meath, who make Tayto crisp products.
Between the onions, potatoes and carrots plus a small bit of early broccoli, Simon currently grows veg on approximately 200 acres as well as an additional 350-400 acres of corn. The fact that he operates such a mixed farm means that he has something to keep him going all year around. He’s done with the onions for the time being – that season tends to run from Spring and through the Summer…
“They are seeded in March and harvested in September. They then go up to Dublin and into storage, where they will be packed the following February or March.”
By their very nature, many farmers tend to be pretty conservative. But Simon Donohoe was without doubt taking a risk when he decided to diversify into onions – a highly specialist crop which requires a great deal of specific skill and expertise to bring to harvest. The gamble has paid off and he is now one of the premier producers of onions on the island.
“It was a whole new departure for me,” he admits. “I didn’t know a lot about growing onions when I started but I was determined to learn and to make a go of it. It’s a lot more different than other crops because you are completely depending on the weather and they are very, very sensitive. There are a lot of minor things that can go wrong, so great care is required,” says the only commercial onion grower in County Wexford.
Looking to the future, Simon says he will continue with the mixed farm approach and will focus on fine-tuning the operation across the board:
“I will go with whatever is there,” he states. “You try to improve what you are at and to get a little better each year. That’s what I’m about at the moment. You can always improve things.
“We’re still doing a lot of corn – mostly spring malt barley and seed barley – and I have some suckler cows for beef. I had sheep as well in the past but not anymore.”
In total, Simon farms around 600 acres and virtually all of the work is done in-house. “All the ploughing, de-stoning and harvesting, we do ourselves,” he concludes. “All the potatoes and onions. We bring in a contractor to sow the corn but look after everything else ourselves.”
It’s a labour of love and the results are spectacular.
Simon Donohoe
Curracloe
Co. Wexford
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 3 No 1, January/February 2015
