At Artramon Farm, Servaas Dodebier oversees a unique Irish dairy operation imbued with quality, class and an identity all of its own. We travelled to this spectacular country estate in Castlebridge, County Wexford and caught up with the affable, long-serving farm manager to find out more about one of Ireland’s premier dairy enterprises.
Owned by Germany-based Countess Ulrike Walderdorff, Artramon Farm is a country estate that has been in the Walderdorff family since 1964. With stunning views of the Slaney, the immaculately maintained, Grade One listed Georgian mansion is one of Ireland’s most desirable guesthouses. The property is complemented by a magnificent dairy farming enterprise, which has been overseen by Servaas Dodebier for a quarter of a century now and counting.
“The total property comprises 320 hectares, including 20 hectares of rented land,” Servaas reveals. “There are about 50 hectares of woodland, ten of bog, roadways and yards, and then we farm approximately 260 hectares. As we’re on the Slaney estuary, there is a little bit of land that’s not suitable for farming but the rest of it is good quality land.”
Of the aforementioned 260 hectares farmed, 200 is grass and 60 hectares are dedicated to crops (mostly winter barley, spring barley and fodder maize). “The maize ends up in the silage pit. We keep some of the barley for feeding and sell the rest of it. However, as we have been expanding the herd, the amount of barley sold will become less and less.”
Expansion of the dairy enterprise comes down to economies of scale. With quotas removed, it makes absolute sense to expand. “We have the land and the facilities here, so it doesn’t cost us any money to expand the herd,” Servaas notes.
At the time of writing, the herd comprised some 370 milking cows, about 120 one-two-year-old followers and the same number again in followers up to one year old – more than 600 in total. The herd is predominantly Holstein Friesian, with a bit of Jersey crossed in and Servaas uses high-EBI Irish bulls for breeding.
“It’s a very grass-based operation more so than a high-yielding one,” he points out. “We’re producing between 5,500 and 6,000 litres per cow, so we’re hoping to pass two-million litres for 2017. In 2016, we reached 1.8million litres from 310 cows, which was very close to a 6,000 litre average.”
All of the milk goes to Glanbia in Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny.
Regarding the phase of expansion currently being experienced, Servaas explains: “We always had plans to expand but the milk quotas were holding us back. We have the land here and the milk herd has access to 150 hectares so I felt there was room to accommodate 400-500 milking cows, because there is so much land accessible to them and dairy has always yielded the best profit per hectare of land.”
Servaas milks for 90 minutes, twice a day, running a 40-unit Delaval rotary parlour, which is ten years old. “I’ve never had any problems with it,” he says. “Last year we built a slurry lagoon because our tanks were up to their max and we also have to put in another cubicle house for an additional 60 cows, which will give us enough housing for 400. The infrastructure and water supply etc. need to be constantly updated and improved and you are always investing in the farm to make sure everything is running as smoothly as possible.”
Away from the farm itself, Artramon Farm’s main building – which is available as rented accommodation -features many luxurious rooms to choose from including, for example, Donnerhall. Horse breeding was the great passion of Otto Schulte-Frohlinde and this room serves as a memorial to this icon of German dressage. Its 37 m2 provides ample room for the many paintings and photographs of the great stallion Donnerhall. Even the off-suite bathroom (across the corridor) is styled on equestrian themes.
“The guesthouse is run separately. Mrs Walderdorff felt it would be a shame to have such a fine building standing idle, so she started to rent it out as a guesthouse in 2000.It was revamped in 2007 and had more rooms added. It can now accommodate 14 people. It’s tastefully decorated and is a luxury accommodation aimed very much at the higher end of the market.”
Guests don’t have to stay in the main house. An apartment situated in the farmyard offers self catering underneath a cosy roof. The apartment is 52 square metres with a bedroom, kitchen-living area and a bathroom with power-shower and sleeps up to three people, with TV and internet access included.
“We offer guests a pheasant shoot in October / November in conjunction with a local gun club, as well as a package for guests attending the Wexford Opera Festival each October. That’s a very busy time of year and we’re always fully booked.
“Back on the farm, we calve during October / November and February / March and we milk all year around. We offer people a farm tour if they are interested and we have a beautiful 16th century castle which is part of the property, as well as Eden Vale Waterfall, which is a 20-minte walk from the house through a beautiful valley.”
The farming enterprise generates full-time employment for three as well as occasional part-time staff and students at weekends. A gardener tends to five acres of gardens around the house, which also has a manager and some part-time staff.
Servaas runs a John Deere 6830, John Deere 6630 and a classic 1984 Massey Ferguson 240 as well as a JCB 310 loader. “We plough and cut our own silage and spread our own fertiliser but the sowing, harvesting and spraying is all done by contractor,” he concludes.
Artramon Farm,
Castlebridge,
County Wexford.
Tel.: 053 9159395
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 5 No 5, July/August 2017
