Cavan dairy farmer Christopher Cahill was both surprised and delighted to be crowned FBD Young Farmer of the Year for 2024 at the Heritage Hotel in Co. Laois recently.
The 30-year-old scooped the prestigious accolade after entering a shared farming arrangement in 2021 with the assistance of Macra na Feirme’s Land Mobility Service, and has since expanded the dairy enterprise from 110 cows to 250 crossbred cows. A graduate of the Sustainable Agriculture Master’s degree from UCD, Christopher also owns Cavan Grassland Consultancy Ltd, a grass measurement and management service provider across the north midlands area.
Now in its 26th year, the FBD Young Farmer of the Year competition rewards young farmers based on a number of criteria, including farm business initiative and innovation, levels of farm efficiency and enterprise quality, farm safety and environmental protection awareness as well as agricultural knowledge.
“Tonight’s winner Christopher Cahill really demonstrates the talent of Ireland’s young farmers. It is our young farmers who are the future of farming in this country and these awards ensure that the future of farming has its night in the spotlight,” Macra National President Elaine Houlihan said at the awards ceremony which took place on September 10 last.
IFA president Francie Gorman added: “There is a wealth of talent in farming and we’re delighted to be part of this competition with Macra. I hope those who took part will consider a leadership role in the future.
“They are already very accomplished with their own farm enterprise. From here, we would like to see them contribute outside the farmgate. It’s very rewarding and it’s an opportunity to share the future for their families and their communities.”
Hailing from Crosskeys, Christopher was chosen from six finalists after impressing the judging panel during the interview process.
“It was very much a shock to me to win,” he says of becoming the first Cavan recipient of the FBD Young Farmer of the Year Award.
“The amount of messages of congratulations I have received shows how far-reaching the competition is. It’s very gratifying.
“The first interview took place on Zoom in July and I had myself convinced that there was no hope at that stage. But then, to my surprise, I got called back in August for a further interview in front of a panel of three. After another very in-depth interview which included an analysis of the farm, I was shortlisted for the final six and then the announcement came on the night.
“I couldn’t believe it – I was absolutely thrilled!”
With no farm of his own, Christopher entered into a shared partnership with Tony McCormack on his farm in Delvin, Co. Westmeath in January 2021. He learned about the concept of shared farming when he spent some time in New Zealand in 2013 as part of his Agriculture Science degree, which he followed up with a Masters in Sustainable Agriculture, and was delighted to put it into practice.
“I worked in Lakeland Dairies – who I now supply my milk to – for five-and-a-half years where I saw lots of new ways of doing things before the opportunity to work with Tony McCormack came along,” he explains.
“Tony was running a dairy enterprise, but was also working full-time off farm and was looking at ways to keep the operation going. We discussed how a partnership might work and over three years later, Deelside Farm as it’s known, is going from strength to strength.
“I provide the cows and labour, while Tony provides the land and infrastructure. The first thing we did was build a cattle shed and calf sheds as well. We increased the stock from 110 to 250 cows and reseeded 70% of the farm and fenced it. Tony and I get on great. When the milk cheque comes in at the end of the month, we sit down and decide how to divide it up.
“The most satisfying thing for me is having my own herd of cows. It’s an opportunity I mightn’t have got if I hadn’t met Tony. We sell our calves to local buyers.”
Deelside Farm has also become a highly sustainable operation under Christopher’s watch.
“When we reseeded the silage ground, we used a red clover mix. It’s only got 60 units of nitrogen fertiliser this year which is a 70% reduction versus grass-only sward,” he continues.
“We’ve also had a 40% reduction in nitrogen use versus a grass-only sward thanks to our use of a mix of red and white clovers on the grazing block. We installed a new drinking system so that the stock wouldn’t be going into rivers or streams to drink, and also use low emissions slurry spreading and soil samples every two years. We are very conscious of our environmental responsibilities.”
Christopher is supported by his brothers Cillian and Conor, and partner Eve, with the running of Cavan Grassland Consultancy Ltd which he says is “aimed at maximising grass”. He is also grateful for the unwavering support of his parents Martin and Marianne.
Christopher would encourage any young dairy farmer without land to enter into a shared partnership and also to embrace technology.
“Ultimately, I would love to own my own farm, but in the short-term, I just want to consolidate what I have and let the herd mature. It’s still a young herd which has yet to reach its full potential,” the affable Cavan man concludes.
Deelside Farm / Cavan Grassland Consultancy Ltd
Telephone: 086 302 7665
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 12 No 4, November/December 2024
