The past year has been a whirlwind for Scot GD (George David) Young who relocated to the Irish midlands with his family after purchasing an impressive farm of just over 400 acres on the shores of Lough Ennell near Mullingar.
The abolition of the EU milk quotas and a strong sterling against the euro were key factors in GD’s decision to sell his two farms in Argyll, which is located to the north-west of Glasgow, and start a new life for himself in Co. Westmeath. He purchased Little Budd’s Farm, which he describes as being a ‘greenfield site’, in April 2015 and has since stocked it with a crossbreed herd of 230 cows and installed a state-of-the-art Waikato milking machine as well as constructing various farm buildings and ancillaries.
The project is still very much a work in progress, with GD having ambitious plans to increase his dairy herd to 350 within the next 12 months and to carry out further improvements to the farm.
“We’re still only settling in,” he smiles.
“My wife Caroline and our three kids Georgia, Charlotte and Fraser moved over from Scotland last August and I joined them in November after travelling back and forth over the previous few months. It has been quite a change for us, but our new neighbours have made us feel very welcome.
“We had been looking for a suitable farm of land for a while and when this property came up, we knew it was the right one for us.”
GD immediately set about converting Little Budd’s into a dairy farm. Located in Dysart, which is 9km from Mullingar, it was sold as a tillage farm with about 300 acres having been under the plough for the previous number of years. The remaining 100 acres is low-lying grazing ground that includes the 12-acre Dysart Island.
“One of the key selling points for us was that it was one big sweep of land without ditches or boundaries. The open space has allowed us put our own shape on the farm. We reseeded 220 acres last year, built a new milking parlour, calving area, slurry storage area and a 200-unit topless cubicle shed, but there is still so much more to be done.
“Repairs are needed to the drains and a few extra roadways need to be laid. We also hope to build another 200-cubicle shed in the near future. The land is very good with Ireland’s grass-based production system being perfectly suited to our needs. Compared to Scotland, the climate is milder and the land is drier. Also, the dairy sector is more integrated in Ireland and there is greater potential for export.”
After a five-year hiatus, GD is delighted to be back in the dairying. “I was milking 250 Holstein Friesian cows in Scotland before deciding to concentrate on beef and sheep farming for a few years. I feel like I have returned to my roots,” he says.
GD purchased his stock through David Clarke Dairy Livestock, which operates out of nearby Loughnavalley and has been sourcing and transporting high quality cows for over 30 years. Indeed, David Clarke Dairy Livestock can claim to be Ireland’s largest exporter of dairy cattle to the UK. GD was very happy with how his first calving season went. The new arrivals are being reared by local man Ciaran Conway on his farm, meaning he is able to devote more time to his dairy herd.
“I’m trying to keep everything simple so I can get the maximum return from the cows,” adds the affable Scot, who supplies his milk to Lakeland Dairies.
GD has also invested heavily in his equipment and became the first dairy farmer in Ireland to install a Waikato Milking System 44-bail Orbit rotary earlier this year. The new system is complemented by SmartECRs, SmartWASH, SmartPlus and SmartSPRAY. The dairy also has stainless steel bins for in-shed feeding and 16-track gland for further expansion of technology in the future.
The platform was installed by Ian Dean of MR Dean UK Ltd, while the plant was fitted by the DairyPower team from Cork.
“The new milking system is working well,” GD enthuses.
“We decided to go with Waikato after seeing one of their systems in operation in Wales. While Waikato are new to Ireland, they have a huge share of the milking machine market in New Zealand and have a great name in other parts of the world. I milk twice a day with the help of John Egan and we’ve the milking and washing up done within an hour-and-a-half.”
GD operates a system that is founded on the principles of top-class facilities, excellent herd health and a meticulous attention to detail. Good cow health and genetics are key to keeping the system simple, maximising production and minimising work.
He concludes by thanking everyone who has helped him to get his new enterprise off the ground and made him and his family feel at home.
“It has been both a challenging and exciting year for me and my family, and we’re extremely grateful for the support we’ve received from everyone. The likes of Pat Gowing in Teagasc, Conor Carey, who has helped me with everything from fencing and digger work to baling, the builders, the planning consultant and our great neighbours, we can’t thank them enough.”
Little Budd’s Farm
White Park,
Dysart,
Mullingar,
Co. Westmeath.
Telephone: 087 6651493
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 6, July/August 2016
