The good work that farmers do more often than not goes unrecognised, but there are certain competitions out there that celebrate the work being done in the agricultural industry.
The Zurich Farm Insurance Farming Independent Farmer of the Year Awards are all about recognising and rewarding the very best in Irish Farming.
The Awards are now in their third year and took place on Friday May 20th in Dublin’s Ballsbridge Hotel. There were eight categories available to enter as well as a Lifetime achievement and of course the overall Farmer of the Year 2016.
Farmers can nominate themselves or be nominated by any third party (Teagasc Advisor, friend, family member, fellow farmer and so on).
The farming community has come to realise that by providing the right blend of native Irish feed they can get the best out of their livestock whether it be dairy or beef.
There is certainly a more scientific approach to animal feeds these days as there are many different blends on the market, all of which is generally bought in bulk.
This year the Tillage Farmer of the Year went to Kildare farmer Darragh Cleary after he impressed the judges over the course of a number of visits to the 500 acre farm in Monasterevin.
Darragh revealed to Irish Tractor & Agri that it was Ivan Whitten, Teagasc Advisor Naas who convinced him to enter the competition.
“We are tillage farmers and have been for at least five generations now. We currently implement a crop rotation consisting of winter oilseed rape, winter wheat, winter barley, spring beans or peas. Our farming model is based around a high input/high output system. The land we farm whether it is owned, leased or share-farmed is maximised to achieve the highest yields through better farm agronomy.
“The land we farm is very fertile and is ideal for tillage farming. We test our soils every two to three years to make sure we sustain the high yields each year. Our soils have improved by increasing our earthworm populations and soil organic matter levels. This has being achieved by using non inversion tillage, using green waste compost, cover crops and improved crop agronomy.”
Darragh admitted that it was not all plain sailing in the tillage industry as a volatile market makes it hard to work to make a profit.
“Prices and yields are back from last year and the world market dictates the prices, which can be a disaster for us. In 2009, we had a disaster of a year, but we battled back, although the last year or so has been tough also,” added Darragh who runs the farm with his father Pat.
Despite all this Darragh decided to go for the Zurich Tillage Farmer of the Year and following a couple of interviews and an inspection of the farm, he was shortlisted for the final and he admits that he was delighted to win.
“Of course, it is a great honour to win such a prestigious award. We have worked very hard to get the farm to where it is today and it is nice for us to see that being recognised. If I’m honest it was a massive surprise to win as I never had any real intention in entering anything like that until Ivan suggested it. That was our first year to enter and to win in the first year is great.”
Like all industries, machinery has evolved in the farming world and arable farmers now have modern machinery that can get the work done more efficiently in particular by using precision agriculture. The Cleary farm also used to be involved in beef before focusing solely on tillage and it is a decision that they have not regretted despite the trials and tribulations that it brings about.
Darragh operates an extensive range of machinery to carry out their farming operations with a Claas Lexion 540 Combine Harvester and a 2015 Fendt 720 Tractor leading the way at harvest time.
“All machinery operations are carried out by us except for hedge-cutting and baling where contractors are used. We forward sell our grain to our merchant at different times throughout the year depending on price and markets. This allows us to minimize global volatility. We have a 12-tonne chaser bin which fills lorries directly in the fields off the combine.”
Darragh stated that the aim was to add another 100 to 150 acres to their portfolio, while trying to cut more costs.
“Getting the costs down is something that we are looking at the moment maybe through group purchasing. With the market being so volatile, it is essential that we try to cut down on our input costs’, but this is something that is easier said than done.”
We did switch to urea this year for our nitrogen needs and saved €25-30 acre by doing so. Darragh also stated he would love to see the re-introduction of the sugar beet industry in the near future. Darragh’s brother Gavin runs Cleary Compost & Shredding Ltd on the family farm. Cleary Composting had been processing green waste, such as garden clippings, since 2006, with all compost being used on the farm as an organic fertiliser.
Darragh Cleary
Larch Hill,
Monasterevin,
Co. Kildare
Phone: (045) 525 786
Mobile: (086) 893 7915
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 7, September 2016
