The growing and harvesting of crops is big business in the coastal areas around Dublin, particularly in the north of the county where many people are involved in the farming industry.
For this month’s edition of Irish Tractor & Agri, we profile a family run farm that provide a variety of vegetables to both the Irish and UK markets.
GDL Harford is a family run business that harvests crops on 200 acres of land in the heartland of Irish farmland, Lusk, Co Dublin.
Run by three brothers Ger, Denis and Lorcan Harford, they farm and harvest the following crops as cauliflowers, broccoli, leeks, spinach, beetroot, celeriac, celery and parsnips.
Denis spoke to us about the process involved and he revealed that the family has been involved in farming crops all their lives and have picked up invaluable experience over the years, which has stood them in good stead, especially through some difficult times.
All their experience came from what they learned from their father who also spent all his life farming and the knowledge he picked up was handed down to his sons.
“We farm up on 200 acres of land here in Lusk and we supply wholesalers including Total Produce. Our customer base would include 30 different suppliers,” said Denis.
“We have a big mixture of vegetables to harvest here, which sets us apart from other farms as many would only focus on one or two products.”
Denis revealed that each member of the family has his own area to look after and he stressed that it is a system that works very well indeed.
“I’m one of three brothers who are involved in the business. Ger looks after the logistics, Lorcan’s role involves planning the planting and the harvesting of the crops and I’m the Operations Manager. We are all third generation farmers so it’s something which we have all grown up with and loved.”
Lusk is renowned for its fertile soil and the home of vegetable growing in Ireland, a statistic that Denis puts down to the land they work on.
“Good soil is key to a good crop, so before we plant any of our crops we test the soil to see what nutrients it contains. We then add any nutrients to the soil that it is lacking in, in order to ensure our crops get all the nutrients they require. After all, a happy crop is a healthy crop and as a farmer, there is no better feeling than to produce a good quality crop that people enjoy eating.”
Denis revealed that they take great pride in the vegetables that they provide and only the best quality food will leave the yard, while freshness is of the utmost importance to them. Any vegetable harvested will be with the wholesaler in no time.
“I’m very proud of the produce we grow and we work endlessly to ensure we provide our customers with the freshest produce we can, as quick as we can, from the field to your plate. That’s about as fresh as it gets!”
GDL Harford has always been a progressive farm and having harvested potatoes for over 100 years, there was no room for sentiment when the decision was made to stop growing them.
“We had been growing potatoes for over a century, but a few years back we decided that it wasn’t beneficial for us to do so anymore. We are selling low costs products, so we have to meet the supply in demand.”
Farming over 200 acres of land means that the three brothers need plenty of help to ensure that the operation runs smoothly and Denis is pleased with the work force that they have.
“There are about 16 people working here depending on the time of the year. Many of the lads who are here are here for years and they are very experienced at what they do. Everyone knows their role and it works well for us. There are huge time constraints in this industry and everything has to work well.”
Of course, a lot depends on the weather and as we all know the Irish weather is as unpredictable as a rabbit with Myxomatosis as Denis stated that they have had their ups and down where the Irish climate is concerned.
“Yeah the weather plays a massive part in this. In 2010, we lost all our cauliflower due to the bad weather, but the last few winters have been mild enough. It’s just something that you have to deal with.”
Overall, Denis is very happy with the way the business is progressing, although a bit more stability in the price of vegetables would be one thing that he would like to see.
“The market is very volatile at the moment and we would certainly like to see more stability in the prices, but overall we are pleased with the direction that the business is heading.”
GDL Harford
Lusk,
Co Dublin
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 3 No 11, December 2015
