This past May saw Co Laois farmer Tom Dunne beat off the competition at the 2016 Zurich Farmer of the Year awards to take home the overall prize. Irish Tractor & Agri learned more from the man himself and what he has been up to as of late.
Based in Durrow, Co Laois, Tom Dunne has given most of his life to farming, stepping into organics seven years back, and the start of this summer saw that rightfully acknowledged when he scooped two gongs at the prestigious Zurich Farmer of the Year awards.
The ceremony took place on May 22nd at the Ballsbridge Hotel and saw Tom follow up his Beef Farmer of the Year award by earning the top prize on the night.
“Initially I was thrilled to be shortlisted to the final three,” Tom told Grace Maher of the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA) afterwards.
“Then as the week went on I got more excited about it and thought sure it would be great to win anything, I was shocked when I was announced as the overall winner. The rest of the night was a bit of a haze, to be honest. It is a great promotion of organic farming and what is being done by farmers in this country.”
Immersed in the industry from a young age, Tom’s double win on the night was a fitting tribute to a man that has dedicated his life to doing what he loves and evolving his business when he felt the time was necessary.
“I’m 52 years old and I’ve been a farmer all of my life,” he explained.
“Previous to that I’d been farming with my brother, but myself and my wife (Gemma) bought Ballinaslee back in 1999 and, thankfully, we haven’t looked back since.”
Tom’s farming instincts have helped him to navigate his way towards a successful career, while his willingness to adapt at the right time has seen him enjoy some busy times over the past couple of years.
In 2009, he took the bold decision to delve into organic farming and has no regrets since.
“It’s after being a good couple of years alright,” Tom confirmed.
“I’ve been an organic famer for seven years now, before that I was concentrating on sheep and sucklers. Over time though we gradually phased out the sucklers and everything we do here now is all finished. I finished about 83 cattle last year and I’m probably going to do more than that this year.”
During his transition to organic, Tom revealed that there were two “game changers” which led him to deciding that the latter was the way forward for him.
“I started growing my own cereal because I found that buying it was just too much,” he said.
“I also started bringing in Keenan diet feeders and it made a real difference as well. There’s a nutrition plan that comes with the feeders and it has made a huge difference in what we’re doing here.”
Robins Glen Organic produce are suppliers of organic feed to the farm.
He added: “In normal years I was buying cattle and just killing them off, but it’s bonus territory compared to years ago now. I feel I could finish something close to 120 this year compared to the 80 last year.”
Along with this busy schedule, Tom found time at the start of this year to help found the Irish Organic Beef Producers.
With some 30 members, it helps to supply between 20 and 25 cattle to be killed by Good Herdsman in ABP Clones on a weekly basis.
“I’m a founding member of the Irish Organic Beef Producers. It officially started in January 2016 and since then it has been running very smoothly with around 30 members,” said Tom.
“In the past, we’d problems getting our animals killed and now – at the very least – I know when I’m going to get my cattle killed. You can’t be left with cattle because it has a knock-on effect to everything that we do here.
“There are a lot of things that you can legislate for inside your own farm, but then there are a lot of things that you can’t legislate for. I try to buy cattle at the best price I can.”
Indeed Tom has come a long way from when he first started out working on the family farm alongside his father and brother.
Some 40 years on and he’s still doing what he loves and says that farming is very much in his DNA at this stage.
“I grew up on the home farm and I was earmarked at an early age to become the farmer in the family,” said the Laois man.
“I inherited a farm in Kinnitty, Co Offaly and as the years went by the home farm went to my brother. Farming was always in my veins and I always felt that there wasn’t enough to live off the farm – that’s the reason why I went into organics.
“I try to look outside of it and try and get the best out of what I have here. I’ve found organic farming a great challenge and it has reinvigorated me.”
Away from farming, Tom is also an avid GAA fan, supporting both club and county all year round, but his number one priority continues to be his family.
On the night of his double award-winning success, he was joined at the Ballsbridge Hotel by his wife Gemma and daughter Dervla, mother Mary and sister Anne, while his other daughter Bronagh was unable to attend the event due to upcoming exams.
The night was one that Tom will never forget: “I got word that I had been nominated four weeks beforehand. It was a huge honour for me to be nominated and then to make the last three as well was just fantastic.
“I was nervous waiting for the Beef award to be announced because it was the last one but then when I won the other award I was knocked for dead. To win the Beef and the Overall award was a great honour and I was thrilled with my family there as well.
“Also, it was a big boost to organic farming, so overall it was a great night.”
The way things are going; don’t be surprised if there are a few more down the line, Tom.
Tom Dunne
Durrow
Co. Laois
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 7, September 2016
