The Liston family in Banogue, Co. Limerick have been steadily increasing their dairy herd size in recent years. Fiachra Liston explains more.
Fiachra and his father Aidan are currently milking 280 Holstein Friesian cows, which is more than double what they were milking a decade ago. Since returning to the family farm in 2004, Fiachra has been focused on improving breeding to have the most profitable animal for their grass-based system. He is also focused on growing more tons of grass per hectare and attaining the correct work-life balance, which is something many farmers struggle to achieve.
Married to Mary (nee Barrett) with four young children, Caitlin, Edward, Aidan and Matthew who are all under the age of four, Fiachra studied both agriculture and engineering at Reaseheath College, Nantwich near Crewe before travelling to New Zealand and the US to develop his farm skills.
While in the US, he worked on a farm in Arizona which milked 4,500 cows and spent a further six months working on the grain harvest from Texas to North Dakota. He has completed a number of courses over the years, including a DIY AI course, a first aid course with the Farm Relief Service (FRS) as well as farm profit monitor and cost control planner courses with Teagasc.
Fiachra was nominated for the Marca na Feirme / FBD Young Farmer of the Year award in 2008 and 2010, getting down to the last six in the latter year when three of the other finalists were also dairy farmers. One of a family of seven, he is a former chairman of Kilmallock Marca and has also served as county chairman and president. He is actively involved with the Banogue Drama Group and Banogue Musical Society, and was one of the main characters in the Drama Group’s presentation of “It’s the Real McCoy” last November. He is also chairman of Greybridge Classic Club which is a fundraising club and has raised over €150,000 for local charities, including “Cliona Foundation”. This year the club is going to put together the JOHN DEERE logo with John Deere tractors on August 11.
“We have grown our dairy herd from 120 cows in 2006 to 280 cows this year. We have added to the herd every year during that time,” the 38-year-old explains.
“We are farming 370 acres in total, 250 of which is our own and 120 which is rented. It’s all dairy here – cows, replacements and calves. The bigger herd has led to increased labour demands, but we are coping okay thanks to the addition of Pat Noonan, who manages the farm along with my father and I.
“In recent years, we have employed staff through the local Farm Relief Service (FRS) to help with the milking. Everyone knows exactly what their role is. When the workload is at its peak during the calving season and we’re working around the clock, my wife and mother (who is also called Mary) help out with the calf rearing. It’s a real team effort.”
From March onwards, the cows are milked twice a day in a 26-unit DeLaval parlour with Fiachra and Pat rotating the morning and evening duties. DeLaval are one of the world’s leading specialists in milking systems, equipment and products and the Liston’s receive a terrific back-up service from Alan Sexton, who is the main DeLaval dealer for the Limerick and north Cork area. Joe Hayes of Cleanline Farm Services in Tipperary town supplies them with their detergent products.
“We put in a 16-unit in 2002, extended it to 20 before adding six more spaces in 2012. DeLaval is a very good system,” Fiachra says.
The Liston’s supply their milk to Kerry Agri-business who, in conjunction with Teagasc, have organised open days on this exceptionally well-run farm in the past.
The family operates a very simple system that is founded on the principles of top-class facilities, excellent herd health and a meticulous attention to detail. All facilities are developed with the aim of one man being able to handle 280 cows. Good cow health and genetics are key to keeping the system simple and minimising work. The six-week calving rate is about 85 per cent, with the majority of the calves being born in February. The heifer calves are kept as replacements, while the bulls are sold to the mart at two / three weeks old. The breeding and condition scoring of the cows are other key factors in ensuring a healthy herd and getting them in calf.
The cows remain outdoors for nine months of the year. They are fed silage for the other three months. The Liston’s call on the services of local agri contractors for their silage cutting, slurry spreading and reseeding needs. Any structural improvements or new builds on the farm are also left to the professionals, allowing them to concentrate solely on looking after their dairy herd.
Unlike many dairy farmers, the abolition of the EU milk quotas last year wasn’t the motivation behind the Liston’s decision to increase their herd size.
“For us, it was more to do with the availability of land,” Fiachra explains.
“We have been able to grow by investing gradually and being as efficient as possible. Having the right stock and keeping the cows on grass for as long as possible each year have been central to our herd growth. We use the maximum amount of grass and the minimum amount of feed. We reseed as often as we can and having slats and cubicles in our sheds enable us to keep infrastructure maintenance costs to a minimum.”
Fiachra isn’t unduly concerned about the impact the lifting of the milk quotas will have on prices long-term.
“I don’t think Ireland’s increase in milk production will make a massive difference to the overall picture. We’ve always had troughs and peaks in this business and it just so happens that milk prices are poor at the moment. These things tend to balance themselves out over time and I’ve no doubt that the prices will come good again,” he concludes on a positive note.
The Liston family
Ballyculleen,
Banogue,
Croom,
Co. Limerick.
Telephone: 087 1226408
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 5, June 2016
